


Kingdom Hearts: Summoner's Quest

by Auragongal



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Original Characters - Freeform, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-03-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 51,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22293499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Auragongal/pseuds/Auragongal
Summary: A new Keyblader finds her world turned upside down as a seemingly normal day leads not just to her gaining a keyblade, but also beginning a journey to awaken not just her latent power, but also someone close to her heart. Will she succeed? Time will tell.
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

_"Stop! You can't do this to me!" said the prisoner to be as he was dragged into his new prison, "What about my friends!? What about **our** friends!?"  
  
"You are too strong, Eidolon," said one of the masked figures who lead this imprisonment, "You and your brethren are to be sealed away and all Summoners are to be destroyed so that another war will never take place."  
  
"This is wrong!" yelled the prisoner as he was chained to a wall, his armor and weapons placed far from him in his cell- a taunt no doubt by the one who orchestrated this betrayal. They couldn't do this to him, they couldn't do this to his friends! As he struggled against his chains, trying to break free from them, the one wearing the demon's mask before him merely shook his head.  
  
"Do not even try," the demon before the prisoner said, "Only a summoner will be able to break these chains, and since we will purge them all, then it will take a miracle to free you."  
  
"MONSTER!" the prisoner cried out, only for the demon-masked man and his similarly-masked minions to finish chaining up the prisoner's arms and legs, "Bastard, I hope that in however many lives you have, you always fall to darkness!"  
  
The masked man and his minions stopped in their tracks before the leader turned his head to look over his shoulder at the prisoner.  
  
"History will say which of us is the true monster, Eidolon."  
  
_

~0~

_Time passed for the prisoner, the dark cell and isolation maddening as he slept. At one point, he could feel... something, someone walking over his prison, and he cried out hoping they would hear.  
  
He had no idea how much time passed before he heard footsteps heading his way and the doors opened to reveal a young man with black hair and white clothes look at him.  
  
"Why are you here?" the strange-looking man said, only for the prisoner to sigh as his eyes stared at the man's strange weapon.  
  
"I don't even know the answer to that," The prisoner said, "I can't even remember where I am after who knows how long. All I remember is my name, my little buddy and the others."  
  
"Talk to me about them, perhaps I can help you get out of here," the man said as he sat down with a bottle of water and offered it to the prisoner. The prisoner took it and began to drink it, the water quenching his long-time thirst. After the drink, the prisoner and the man talked about things, how the man had taken in two young children shortly after he arrived at the castle, unaware that there was a hidden basement at all as he explored. They talked about the Prisoner's past as a simple bandit before something happened to change his life around, though what that event even was, the prisoner could not remember anymore. They talked about the man's late master and his good friend, and how the man sometimes worried about his friend, as did the prisoner worry about his own Little Buddy. So long they spoke with each other that when it came time for the man to leave, the prisoner simply made a single request.  
  
For the man to come back and chat with him whenever he had free time.  
  
The man agreed, and so their conversations grew, with the prisoner learning about the students and the man's life and friendship, and the man learned of the prisoner's own past, each conversation bringing back memories for the prisoner. Eventually, though, the man would start visiting less and less, until one day he stopped visiting all together and the prisoner fell back into a deep sleep, unaware of the man's ultimate fate.  
  
Still, he was not free.  
  
Time passed again and the prisoner awoke, a feeling in his chest that was familiar and warm.  
  
A summoner was near.  
  
He cried out with all his strength, hoping that once again someone would hear him, the summoner freeing him from his prison at last!  
  
But no one came, and he fell asleep once again.  
  
Time passed once more, and once again he heard footsteps, but he did not yet open his eyes. Even when he heard voices- a girl and a boy enter the room followed by more footsteps, he did not wake up. That was until he was struck in the head, causing him to speak up once more.  
  
"OW! What the hell was that for!?" he said as he looked up and saw a young woman in blue and white clothes with dark hair and dark green eyes holding a giant key themed around the sun and roses.  
  
Freedom had finally come._


	2. Ana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite a strange dream, it's just another normal day in Twilight Town... right?

Ana found herself having an odd dream as she drifted through the void, falling down towards a stained glass platform depicting a brown-haired boy she'd never seen before wearing red and black, the background depicting an island in the middle of the sea, while a circle of people was behind the brown-haired boy's sleeping head. As the dark-haired and green-eyed girl landed on the platform though, she then heard a voice in her mind.  
  
 _Take your time. Don't be afraid. I'll be guiding you throughout this trial. Now, will you be able to step forward?_  
  
Ana said nothing as she stepped forward, before being surprised by three pedestals rising from the platform, one holding a sword with a rose on the pommel, one holding a shield with a rose on the front, and one holding a staff topped by a rose.  
  
 _Power sleeps within you,_ the voice then said, before the pedestals disappeared and were replaced by a tome. As Ana moved further the voice spoke again. _Strange... this wasn't supposed to happen. It seems your path has been chosen for you, I've never seen this pedestal before... I wonder what it could mean?_  
  
Ana simply touched the tome, before a flash of light engulfed her and the platform changed to depict a sleeping, dark-haired man with a strange symbol on his back, almost like an upside-down heart with chunks taken out of it to form a cross.  
  
"Dad..." Ana said sadly as she looked at the platform, and the faces behind the man being her own and her mother's face, while flowers bloomed around the man as he slept. As Ana focused on the faces, she saw that the image of her had her eyes opened, while the eyes of her mother were hidden from view.  
  
 _Odd, you already have the power to fight?_ the voice said as Ana found herself holding the sword she'd seen before, before slashing it in the air, _Well, however you gained it, please, use it to protect yourself and others. In the future, there will be times where you must fight, but you already know that, don't you? Please, keep your light burning strong, ok, Kiddo?_  
  
Ana said nothing as shadows appeared before her with long antennae and glowing yellow eyes. Getting the idea of what was happening, she charged in with her sword to attack, slashing at the monsters that had invaded this place. Though she was struck once or twice, Ana kept fighting, the stubborn girl roaring with anger as she flashed across the platform. Soon, the tall shadows were defeated, and Ana held her blade up in victory as stairs started to appear on the edge of the platform, heading upward.  
  
Seeing nowhere else to go, she started to climb them, the petal-shaped steps clicking under her black boots as she did so. It was not long before she reached the next station, this one depicting a woman with her eyes shadowed by brown hair and wearing a simple white blouse and black skirt.  
  
"Mom..." Ana said as she looked at the station, and saw herself and her father reflected in the background as flowers bloomed around her mother as well. Once again, Ana's eyes were open in the image, while her father's eyes were closed.  
  
 _Look out!_ the voice then said, and Ana whirled around just in time to attack a Dusk that had appeared. It went down easily to her sword, and Ana continued on her journey, finding a chest, a crate, and a barrel infront of her and a locked door to the side. Ana said nothing as she opened the chest to find the key before the crate and barrel were destroyed by more Dusks popping out of them.  
  
Once again, they went down easily to her sword as she slashed at them from behind.  
  
As she went through the door, Ana was surprised to see an unfamiliar figure on the stained glass window- that of a man in red with four arms. He was wrapped in chains and from the looks of things, he was unconscious. Surrounding him were various blades that Ana didn't recognize, while behind the four-armed man, was the face of some sort of horned dog-thing and other figures that Ana didn't recognize. Finally, she saw another door and was about to open it when the voice spoke again.  
  
 _Sorry, Kiddo, but this door won't open just yet. Why don't you tell me about yourself?_  
  
Then, three masked figures appeared before her, one with a mask that looked like a rabbit, one with a mask that resembled a wolf, and the third with a mask that reminded Ana of a dragon. Each figure wore a white robe, and Ana honestly didn't know who was under those masks, even when they spoke to her.  
  
"What is most important to you?" Asked the girl in the Rabbit Mask.  
  
"My Family," Ana said and watched as the Rabbit girl disappeared.  
  
 _Is family really so important?_  
  
"What do you want out of life?" said the boy in the Wolf Mask.  
  
"To be strong, for everyone," Ana said and watched as he too, disappeared from sight, leaving her all alone with the boy in the Dragon Mask.  
  
 _Strength... Yeah, I can understand why you'd want that..._  
  
"What are you afraid of?" the boy in the dragon mask then said, causing Ana to think for a moment as she rubbed her arm.  
  
"Being alone." she said, "And I already live that fear daily now..."  
  
 _You want your family, you want to be strong, and you're afraid of being alone, despite facing that fear daily. Your journey begins at Dawn._ The voice said, which caused the door to open with a flash of light, and Ana then found herself on a platform that depicted her standing in a field of flowers, while a dragon loomed behind her. Faces she didn't know surrounded her, some human, some beastly, and behind her loomed the faces of her parents, her father asleep while her mother's eyes were once again, hidden from view. As Ana admired her platform, the voice once again spoke.  
  
 _The closer you get to the light, the longer your shadow becomes, will you be able to face your darkness, Kiddo? Or will you fall to it instead?_  
  
As the voice said this, Ana turned to see herself as a shadow, her arms red and clawed and wearing a tattered cloak, as Ana held her sword in hand, her shadow held a sinister-looking blade as the two circled each other, before Ana charged in and fought herself, the white-haired doppelganger growling with rage as it was struck by the blade of light, while the blade of shadow struck and sparked against it when the two blades met. Ana jumped back and kicked her shadow in the chest, watching it fall off the platform and into the void.  
  
 _You know what Kiddo? I think I'll like working with you! I can't wait, until we meet, Ana..._  
  


~0~  


"Ana time to wake up!" said the young woman's uncle, Martin, causing Ana to groan as she sat up in bed and stretched her arms. As she looked out the window she could see the sun just starting to rise over Twilight Town, which meant that she needed to get out of her black-spotted white pajamas and into her day-clothes once again. As she glanced at the mirror and saw that her long dark hair was in dire need of a hairbrush or five, she just sighed and crawled out of bed, not even caring anymore that her hair was a total mess.  
  
It wasn't like she could tame it anyway.  
  
As for clothes, Ana pulled on a pair of black shorts followed by a blue, sleeveless dress with white accents that she tended to wear with a black denim jacket and her lucky emblem necklace. Ana was on the tall side of things for an eighteen-year-old girl, the tallness running in her family on her dad's side. As her dark green eyes scanned the room though, she soon spotted a pair of white half gloves on her dresser next to a black and white cowboy hat that she would wear sometimes, well when she could get it over her wild and messy dark hair that is.  
  
Once she was fully dressed she headed into the kitchen of her family's apartment, which was just upstairs from the flower shop that her family currently owned, the Twilight Rose. Sitting at the table and drinking a cup of coffee was her uncle Martin, a man with short brown hair and green eyes that wore a simple green apron over a white shirt and black pants. He had moved in a few months ago when he heard about Ana's father and how Ana was left alone to run the shop.  
  
"Morning," Ana said grumpily as she made herself a cup of coffee with milk and sugar, "How's dad doing?"  
  
Martin sighed and shook his head, a sign that once again, there was no improvement on the missing family member from the breakfast table.  
  
"Figures," Ana said sadly as she sat at the table and served herself a couple of pancakes, "So, what's on the agenda for today?"  
  
"Well, you're making deliveries for the shop today again," Martin said, "While I talk with a client about her wedding bouquet, she insists on having it in orange with Bird's Foot Trefoils, but I can't seem to get her to accept that it means revenge in the language of flowers and isn't well... a good thing for a wedding."  
  
"Maybe the wedding is revenge on someone?" Ana said with a shrug while Martin chuckled.  
  
"If so, then there's something going on a mere florist like me doesn't get to know," Martin then said as he lowered his newspaper, "Anyway, deliveries. Well, Mr. McDuck wants some fresh flowers for Le Grand Bistrot's anniversary, so I'm sending in Bumblebee Orchids and yellow poppies to him."  
  
"Industry for the Orchids and wealth and success for the poppies, right?" Ana said, knowing her uncle loved to quiz her on the flowers and their meanings at random times. Seeing him smile and nod at her, it was clear that she got the meaning right before her uncle asked another question.  
  
"And what's the meaning of poppies in general?"  
  
"Eternal sleep, oblivion, and imagination," Ana said, giving her uncle a bit of a glare.  
  
"Okay, that was probably not a good one to ask about considering my brother in law's current situation, but I just couldn't resist!" Uncle Martin said, while Ana finished her breakfast and started heading towards the door leading downstairs into the shop as her uncle added quickly, "The flowers for delivery are already on the cart!"  
  
"Got it!" Ana shouted back, and so began her work for the day.  
  
About an hour later, Ana had reached Le Grand Bistrot where she was met with a girl with short black hair and blue eyes- a waitress at the bistro named Xion who moved in around a year ago along with a couple of other people- a boy named Roxas and a man named Axel who Ana assumed was their legal guardian. While they all worked at the bistro, Ana honestly wasn't sure where they moved into town from. But, as their boss was paying her family's shop for flowers, she didn't really care either.  
  
"Welcome to Le Grand Bistrot!" Xion then said with a smile as Ana put on her best customer service smile and spoke to the younger girl.  
  
"Thanks, I'm here with the flowers from Twilight Rose, I heard it's the restaurant's first anniversary, right?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty excited!" Xion said with a grin, before looking at the flowers and pointed at the orchids "Oh, those are pretty to look at!"  
  
"Thanks, those are bumblebee orchids, they represent industry while the yellow poppies represent wealth and success." Ana then said while Xion nodded.  
  
"I'm sure Mr. McDuck will like that when he finds out their meaning!" the raven-haired girl in black then said before moving to get the flowers into the bistro, "We have the vases ready for the flowers, can you stay and help me set them up?"  
  
"Sure thing," Ana said, keeping a smile plastered on her face as she walked into the bistro to help Xion set the flowers up- one orchid surrounded by poppies, all while doing her best to keep up with Xion's attempts at conversation. While Ana didn't really see her as a friend, she couldn't help but admit that the girl was tolerable in terms of personality- not like some people that Ana used to hang out with anyway.  
  
Later on, Ana finished her work for the day and was allowed to go around the town for her own devices, the young woman intending to just go by the station to watch the sunset before going into the woods for a quick walk before heading home. However, as she started going by the sandlot, she watched as she saw two combatants fight it out, one with a purple sarong around his waist and long silvery hair and purple eyes. While one of the man's fangirls was holding his black and gold coat, Ana could see that he was also wearing a lavender shirt with matching boots and black pants. Ana knew this man as Setzer, while his opponent was a blonde kid in black and white clothes and blue eyes that Ana recognized as Roxas. Apparently, they were training for the next Struggle tournament in a couple of months. Though, she didn't know why Roxas was practicing with Setzer Gabbiani of all people, since word spread after the last tournament that the man was a cheat who tried to bribe his way to victory against the current champion, Seifer.  
  
Still, As Ana watched the two beat each other with foam bats and collecting the spheres that dropped from a counter on their belts, she had to admit it looked like fun. In fact, as Roxas dodged a thrust from Setzer followed by moving behind him to strike, she could tell that Roxas was pretty experienced.  
  
"Setzer!" cried out the man's fangirls nearby, the one holding his coat hugging it close as Ana rolled her eyes. During their cry, Setzer ended up getting distracted and also defeated the gambler with a score of 130 to 70 orbs. Satisfied with the fight, she was about to move on when fangirl with Setzer's coat spoke up and got the boys' attention.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't the Corpse Girl, Ana, how's your dad? Still dead?" said the fangirl in question, and as Ana turned to face her with a glare, she saw that the fangirl in question was a girl who dyed her hair blonde and was wearing a green dress with an "I heart Setzer" pin on it as well as white shoes.  
  
"He's not dead, he's in a coma, there's a difference, _Julia_ ," Ana said coldly to the fangirl, though Ana was tempted to just pounce on the rude young lady and tear her hair out. She didn't want to fight today, and just move on with her life. However, it seemed that Julia was intent on making Ana's life hell again.  
  
"Oh please," Julia then said, "You used to be such a good girl before your dad collapsed during work and he hasn't woken up in a year, he'd probably be ashamed of how you've changed into an utter bitch."  
  
"Well, if you were in my shoes, then you'd be stressed out too," Ana said with a growl, "Then again, at least my dad would appreciate me fighting off assholes like you!"  
  
"What did you call me, Corpse Girl!?" Julia then said, handing Setzer's coat to another fangirl before stomping over to slap Ana in the face. Ana, however, dodged and was about to throw a punch before Setzer spoke up and got between them both.  
  
"Now ladies, ladies," he said while Roxas just watched what was happening, "Why don't you two settle things with a struggle match? I'm sure it'd be a healthier way than just straight up using your fists."  
  
"Fine!" both girls said and went over to the rack nearby to select their weapons, Julia picking up the standard blue bat, while Ana picked up a green one with a handguard on it. Then, the two picked up a point counter and attached them to their clothes, Julia's on her wrist and Ana's on her belt. As Roxas got out of the way, Setzer then raised his hands and spoke.  
  
"Alright, it's time for a bout between two lovely ladies!" Setzer yelled out to the small crowd gathered at the sandlot before pointing out the two girls, "In the western corner, we have my dear fangirl Julia, a loyal fangirl who is just doing her best, while in the eastern corner, we have a bit of a celebrity in the Struggle circuit, Ana, daughter of the Struggler known as Roy the Annihilator! There's no telling what sort of tricks he'd taught his little girl before his collapse and ensuing coma!"  
  
The crowd cheered as Ana popped the bones in her neck, though whether for her or for Julia, she honestly didn't care, she just wanted to get this fight over with, win or lose.  
  
"Now, onto the rules!" Setzer said, getting into the role as he indicated the two fighters, "One minute in the ring, whoever gets the most points wins, no ripping off the counter from your opponent or smashing it, and most importantly, no low blows, do you understand these rules?"  
  
"Yes sir!" both girls said at once, gripping their bats and getting ready to go.  
  
"Alright then," Setzer said as another of his fans started the clock, "Go!"  
  
Before Julia could even move, Ana lunged at her with lightning speed, using her bat as an extension of herself as she thrust and parried attacks as Julia's green orbs scattered about the battlefield. Still, Julia managed to get a hit in here and there as she struck Ana's free arm with her struggle bat while Ana twirled and danced around the sandlot, striking Julia from behind a few times as the counter ticked down.  
  
"And time!" Setzer said, before having the girls bring in their counters for a comparison. His sudden shock at seeing a severe difference nearly causing him to stumble as he spoke again, "A-And with a score of one hundred and ninety-seven to three, Ana is our winner!"  
  
"N-No fair! She didn't even give me a chance!" Julia said as Ana walked away, only to stop when her opponent threw her struggle bat at the victor. Ana twirled and blocked the bat with her own, before replacing it on the rack and leaving the sandlot in silence, only to be stopped by Roxas.  
  
"That was pretty cool!" Roxas then said as he walked with her, only to for Ana to say something else in response.  
  
"Shouldn't you be at work?" she said, "When I got to the bistro this morning, Xion was all on her own."  
  
This caused Roxas to gulp and immediately sprint in the opposite direction, not really wanting to face the wrath of Scrooge McDuck on the day of the bistro's anniversary.  
  
Later on in the day, Ana would be watching the sunset while leaning on the balcony in front of the train station and eating a bar of chocolate ice cream. After the battle at the Sandlot, she had a lot on her mind, from when her dad collapsed the year before, to having to run the shop itself to keep her home before her uncle moved in with her, and the fact that her former friends, Julia among them, turned on her when she needed them most. Still, she did smile a bit at the fact that she practically whooped Julia's tail in that struggle match, letting out all her rage from the past year out into the open. She honestly felt a bit better after that, though she had honestly thought that after a year, Julia would have let that damn rumor die.  
  
"She's probably going to ramp up her game after this," Ana said with a sigh, before hearing a voice.  
  
 _"Ana... how was... day?"_  
  
"Hello?" Ana said, looking around in confusion, only to see no one there with her. Though, upon looking up at the clocktower, she saw a group of people sitting on the edge and enjoying the sunset. She honestly never liked being up there, feeling like one slip off the edge could get someone killed if they weren't careful. Not to mention that she was uncomfortable just thinking about sitting up there with other people.  
  
Shaking her head, she then finished her ice cream bar and left the station to go to her next stop before heading home- the Twilight Town Woods.  
  
Once she arrived there through the sewer tunnel leading out of the walled city, Ana took a breath of fresh air as she walked around the woods, feeling pretty good about herself as she walked between the trees. She always did enjoy being in the forest around Twilight Town, it helped her relax. Though, lately with those white monsters out and about and that black stream of monsters that appeared last year, things had gotten dangerous for the locals. Sure, things seemed to have calmed down for now, but the people of Twilight Town were still wary about future attacks.  
  
Ana herself decided to pick up a branch to defend herself with just in case of trouble, just like she always had for the past year, and this time, she would find herself just face to face with one f the monsters from last year- a humanoid, antennaed creature that was crouched over merely stated at her with its glowing yellow eyes, a moment of peace just before it leaped out to attack her.


	3. Keyblade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ana's life gets turned upside down- in more ways than one.

The shadowy monster started to move closer to Ana, who held her tree branch tightly in self-defense. It was just like the monster from her dream that morning. However, instead of running away, she swung the branch she held to attack the monster, only for it to pass through the shadow like it was nothing.  
  
This was bad. Ana honestly started to feel like she was afraid. Her sword in the dream worked so well there, so why couldn't she hit the monster now!  
  
Still, she stood her ground as, despite her fear, she intended to go down fighting. It's what her father would have done after all.  
  
It was at this moment that something unexpected happened, the tree branch she held suddenly shone with a bright light, causing the monster to shrink back as the branch turned into a giant metal key with a sun-shaped basket styled guard with one of the points wrapping around the green shaft like a golden ribbon as it led to thirteen roses that showed the colors of the sunrise- red, orange, yellow and finally a giant pink rose at the end with three sharp looking leaves forming the key's teeth.  
  
Ana didn't have time to think about what was going on after the change was complete, so she attacked the monster, smiling as the giant key actually dealt damage. She continued her onslaught on the shadow until it disappeared in a puff of darkness, leaving her alone in the woods, the new weapon still in her hands.  
  
"Rose... Morning?" she then said as she looked at the weapon- the keyblade in her hands as a voice in her mind told her what it was. "Just what's going on?"  
  
"HEY!" a new voice then said as Ana turned to see Roxas and Xion enter the woods, both wielding their own keyblades and wearing black cloaks on their bodies. They were soon joined by a tall, red-headed man who also held a keyblade in his hand, though his keyblade seemed to be the very definition of "edgy" to Ana, with its flames and spiked ring guard. As the four stared at each other though, it seemed like an awkward silence before Axel pointed at Ana and spoke.  
  
"Why do you have a keyblade!?" he said, only for Ana to respond rather grumpily.  
  
"I could ask you the same thing, Firebrand!" she said, causing Axel to flinch.  
  
"F-Firebrand!? The name's Axel, get it memorized!" Axel then said while Roxas sighed and Xion seemed surprised that Ana was acting differently than she did at the bistro that morning.  
  
"Don't care, just answer my question," Ana said, and before Axel could respond, Roxas decided to speak up instead.  
  
"Listen, why doesn't matter right now," Roxas then said, "What's more important is how you got a keyblade."  
  
"I don't know!" Ana said, but, before she could explain further, her arm suddenly started moving on its own before the grumpy young woman started feeling herself being pulled towards the mansion on the other side of the woods, leaving a stunned trio of former organization members behind as well.  
  
"Uh... that wasn't supposed to happen, right?" Xion said nervously before looking at Axel.  
  
"Yeah...pretty sure that isn't normal," Axel said with a frown and started following after Ana with his two friends in tow.  
  


~0~  


It was only a couple of minutes but Ana soon reached the mansion as her arm was finally freed from whatever was possessing it. Though, as she looked at the gate, she saw that it was already open, and against her better judgment to just leave things alone, decided to go inside. She had never been inside the mansion before now, having been frightened off by the rumors that it was haunted, not to mention that at the time those started, she was busy with finals at her highschool. She didn't really expect to find dusty sculptures of unicorns or something in the main room, before she felt something tug her arm to the right, causing her to follow the pull and entering a room that was stark white and filled with yellowed drawings. She wasn't sure why, but something about this room felt sad- like it wasn't right for it to look this way and quickly left to continue her explorations of the mansion.  
  
Eventually, she found a hidden door in the library, and after following the stairway into the basement, found herself in a room filled with some expensive looking computer equipment, and was about to walk further in when she stopped and heard voices.  
  
"Are you sure we're doing the right thing by trying to recreate the virtual Twilight Town?" said a voice over some sort of speaker, and as Ana peeked around a machine, saw what looked like Pence at the main computer, with a smaller screen nearby depicting someone, but she couldn't quite see who it was from where she was hiding.  
  
"I don't know really," said Pence, the short, chubby, dark-haired boy not yet noticing that they weren't alone as he continued, "Ever since the virtual Twilight Town collapsed on itself a year ago, I've been wanting to recreate it but... with a tweak or two, Ienzo."  
  
"A tweak or two?" said the other voice, Ienzo as Ana raised an eyebrow in confusion. A virtual Twilight Town? Why would anyone want to make that? Was it for some sort of videogame or something? Did that mean someone was spying on Ana and her family to get data for this thing?  
  
Now, that was kinda creepy in hindsight.  
  
Unfortunately, before Ana could investigate further, she felt a pull on her arm, causing her to look up and see for a split second a staticky figure with white eyes pull her out of hiding. She let out a shout, gaining the attention of Pence and whoever Ienzo was as she tumbled to the floor.  
  
"A-Ana!?" Pence then said in surprise, while Ienzo spoke next over what Ana soon realized was a phone.  
  
"A friend of yours, Pence?" Ienzo then asked, only for Pence to quickly stammer and shake his head.  
  
"N-No! She's just a former upperclassman from school, she graduated last year and uh... is kinda going through some stuff right now."  
  
"What sort of 'stuff?'" Ienzo then asked, only for Ana to speak up before Pence had a chance to explain.  
  
"None of your damn business!" she said, before shooting a glare at Pence, "Now then, what the hell are you doing in here, Pence!?"  
  
"Uh... w-well, I was trying to rebuild the Virtual Twilight Town after it kind of ate itself in terms of programming and-" Pence began, before stopping and looking at Ana in confusion, "Wait, why are _you_ here?"  
  
"Well..." Ana said, just before Pence's eyes widened, and he pointed to the keyblade that Ana held and forgot about until that point, "I-Is that a Keyblade!?"  
  
"Wait, you know about this thing too?" Ana said, and when Pence nodded, she was about to say something else when she suddenly got a headache as her hand was seemingly stuck to her keyblade. "Wh-What the hell!?"  
  
As soon as those words left her lips, she was surrounded by staticky figures with glowing white eyes. One of the figures, a man with four arms reached out to her before disappearing, followed by others disappearing and reappearing around her and pence. The ones she could identify was a woman with a crown and some sort of spiked ribbon behind her, some sort of demonic dog thing, and a great bird. The rest she wasn't even sure what they were, or how many of them there happened to be.  
  
All she knew was that her head was pounding as one of them spoke.  
  
 _"Find us... Find me! We're tired of waiting! We need you, Summoner!"_ the voice, a male one from what Ana could tell, then said, followed by other voices of varying volumes repeating the words "Find Me" over and over again, the pain being too much for Ana as she screamed. What happened next, was that her right arm was being pulled around again, and through one eye saw that her keyblade was pointed at the wall, before a beam of light shot from the tip. This was followed by a portal appearing and Ana being pulled towards it by one of the staticky figures- specifically the one with four arms- towards it. She tried to fight back, but with her pounding headache, she couldn't even try to struggle free before she disappeared through the gateway, the staticky figures disappearing from sight and leaving a very frightened Pence behind.  
  
"Pence, what was that just now!?" Ienzo said over the phone, causing the boy to flinch as he picked it up and looked at the man with short silver hair over his left eye.  
  
"I... have no idea," Pence said, "That... that never even happened before!"  
  
"I see," Ienzo said just as Roxas, Axel, and Xion entered the room.  
  
"Pence!" Roxas said, before steadying the boy as he seemed ready to fall over, "What happened to you? Are you all alright? Where's Ana?"  
  
"She... she left," Pence said, "These... things appeared and took her through some sort of shining gateway somewhere."  
  
"Heartless or Nobodies?" Xion said, only for Pence to shake his head.  
  
"I... I don't know what they were, they seemed like they were made of static from a TV screen, and they had white eyes," Pence said, "Ana's Keyblade made that portal and one of them just grabbed it and dragged her through."  
  
"It's true," Ienzo said over the gummi phone, catching the Twilight Trio's attention, "I witnessed the whole thing from the Gummi Phone and while I don't know who Ana is, I must admit that whole experience seemed straight out of a horror story, though, I do hope that the girl is alright."  
  
No one said a word for what seemed like a while. No one was sure what was so special about Ana that this even happened, and only Axel said what was on everyone's minds.  
  
"What is even going on here?"


	4. Land of Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ana's life is further changed as she experiences her first new world.

It was a normal day in the Land of Departure. Ever since the trio of Aqua, Ventus and Terra returned to their homeworld, things had taken up a rhythm of sorts: Wake up, eat breakfast, train, lunch, more training, dinner, look out at the stars and then go to bed. For Ventus and Terra, the two were currently in the middle of a sparring match, with Ventus's new pet, Chirithy, acting as Referee while Aqua was busy looking over the various books in the library.  
  
Terra wasn't entirely sure what she was looking for since she didn't seem to want to tell him, but he figured it was probably important.  
  
Terra blocked a blow from Ventus's keyblade, chuckling a bit as he spoke.  
  
"Did sleeping for a decade make you slow down, Ven?" he said, while Ventus jumped back and smiled.  
  
"Nope!" Ventus said, and before Terra knew it, he was blocking a flying keyblade with his own. However, before he could retaliate, something unusual happened, as right between them, a shining corridor opened up. Both keyblade wielders were on guard but confused as normally, Corridors were made of darkness instead of light, though for a split second it looked like something made of static came through before it vanished, followed by a young woman in a blue and white dress, a black jacket and boots with white half-gloves on. Though both boys also noticed that the woman's dark hair was in dire need of a hairbrush or five from how messy it looked. However, before they could ask her who she was and what was going on, the woman collapsed onto the ground and dropped something that surprised both wielders.  
  
The young woman had a keyblade of her own themed around roses and the sun from the looks of things.  
  
"Who is she?" Chirithy then asked, causing both boys to look at her and shrug.  
  
"Chirithy, do you know what that was?" Ventus then asked with a frown, "For some reason, that gateway seemed familiar."  
  
"I don't know about the big thing that came through here, but the corridor of Light is something I haven't seen in a long time!" Chirithy said while Terra picked the young woman up in his arms.  
  
"Ven, go get Aqua," he then said as he started walking towards the castle they called home, "I'll take her to one of the castle's spare rooms and keep an eye on her in case she wakes up."  
  
"Got it," Ven said before looking at Chirithy, the gray cat in a pink cape and a purse around its neck following after the blonde boy. Once Terra saw the two rush past him, he looked down at the young woman in his arms with a single question on his mind.  
  
 _What is going on?_  
  


~0~

Ana groaned as she came to, finding herself in a bed instead of the Twilight Town Mansion. For a moment, she thought that she was back in her room in Twilight Town and that recent events had been just a dream. Of course, when she sat up and saw that she wasn't even in her room at her family's apartment, but instead a rather nice looking bedroom somewhere else, especially while being watched over by a woman with blue hair and a frilly outfit, Ana only said one thing.  
  
"Crap, it wasn't a dream," she said, while the blue-haired woman merely sighed as if she knew this was going to be a long day. Still, she smiled politely before she finally spoke to Ana.  
  
"Hello, my name is Aqua, and you would be?"  
  
"The name's Ana, Frills, now where the hell am I?" Ana then said, catching Aqua off guard.  
  
"Fr-Frills?" Aqua said while Ana rolled her eyes.  
  
"Your outfit. It's frilly," Ana said a bit impatiently, "Now, where am I?"  
  
"You're in the Land of Departure, a whole other world than the one you came from," Aqua said as calmly as possible, though seeing that Ana's expression became one of disbelief, she dreaded the next few words out of her mouth.  
  
"Another world!? That's a load of bull!" Ana said, "That staticky guy probably just pulled me to another part of Twilight Town... that's gotta be it."  
  
"Twilight Town, is that where you're from, Ana?" Aqua then asked, and as Ana gave her a glare and nodded, sighed, "So, how long have you had a keyblade?"  
  
"I don't know, about thirty minutes?" Ana said before looking around, "Where is it anyway?"  
  
"Oh boy..." Aqua said, starting to get a little frustrated with this girl, "Try to concentrate on summoning it and hold out your hand, I'd like to see your keyblade if you don't mind."  
  
"Fine, whatever," Ana said, complying for now as she did as she was asked, and in a flash of light, held her Keyblade Rose Morning in her hand. As Aqua inspected it, however, she hummed to herself, before coming to the HAndguard.  
  
"That's weird, the guard's in a different style than what's usually found on a Keyblade..." she said, before summoning her own, which to Ana, looked a lot like a plain old skeleton key, "I've never seen the guard look a bit more like a shield as yours does,"  
  
"Maybe there are different guard styles? I dunno," Ana said with a shrug, before looking worried, "Anyway, I need to get back to Twilight Town, my uncle's probably worried sick that I'm not home yet, so... if you'll excuse me Frills, I gotta get going."  
  
With that, Ana moved to get out of bed, only for Aqua to speak up again.  
  
"You shouldn't get up just yet," she said, "You've been out cold for a couple of days, and besides, shouldn't you find out why you were brought here?"  
  
"Some staticky guy dragged me by the keyblade, I guess..." Ana said before something else registered with her. "A-A couple of days!? Ah, shit, my uncle's going to kill me if I'm not home by now!"  
  
With that, Ana started running towards the door only for it to open up and reveal a tall, muscular man with chin-length brown hair, blue eyes, a tight shirt with a pair of red straps crossing the front, and tan hakama and armored boots.  
  
"Oh you're awake," he said, before being kicked in the stomach, only for the attack to have no effect thanks to the wall of muscle that was the man's abs. As he moved to grab her though, he also had to try and calm Ana down, "Listen, I know things might be confusing right now, but you just need to relax and listen to Master Aqua sh---"  
  
"Move it, Lunkhead!" Ana then said, before delivering another kick, this time aiming a below the belt as Terra was forced to cringe and move out of the way of the panicked young woman as she ran out the door.  
  
As Ana ran down the hall, passing a boy with blonde hair and weird-looking clothes, she tried to think about where she was. Well, it was obviously a castle, but where? What if what Aqua said about there being other worlds was true, then was she really on another world? If so, how and why was she here? How was she even going to get home? Through another portal? She honestly wasn't sure how she made it in the first place! And what was with those voices and staticky figures that appeared?  
  
There were so many questions that she didn't have answers to and it really bothered her.  
  
 _Hey! Can you hear me?_  
  
"What the?" Ana said as she stopped and looked around, only to see no one there.  
  
 _Oh good, you can!_ The voice then said, Ana noting it sounded like a man just a little older than her, _Listen, I need you to head down to the basement of this castle, there's someone there that can help you on your journey!_  
  
"Well, I guess if it leads to me getting out of here, I'll go down to the basement... any idea how I can get there?" Ana asked the voice, while also unaware she was being watched.  
  
 _Yeah, just follow my instructions, that's all I ask._ the voice said, and Ana started moving again, following the voice through the castle as the blonde boy she passed before followed after her with his cat. As she followed the voice's directions, she tried her best to figure out who the voice was and where it came from, only for the voice to dodge her questions no matter what she asked.  
  
Jerk.  
  
Still, she made it to the basement without any problems and saw only a mostly empty room with training equipment scattered here and there, and a stone floor that seemed to hide nothing underneath it.  
  
"So, what now oh mysterious voice in my skull?" Ana said, lazily swinging her keyblade around, only for her arm to be pulled on by an invisible force yet again.  
  
 _Just... going to borrow your arm for a bit, sorry about this._ the voice then said, as Ana's arm soon plunged the Keyblade into the center of the room and turned it with a click. Next thing Ana knew, the floor surrounding her started to sink into the ground, forming into a spiral staircase. Surprised, Ana was about to go down it, before she heard something behind her.  
  
"Eep!"  
  
She turned and saw what looked like a plush gray cat with a cape and coin purse around its neck and a boy on some sort of metal vehicle hovering over the ground. For a moment, Ana was prepared to fight, before she noticed the boy looked exactly like Roxas, save for different clothes and a bit of armor on his arm.  
  
"Wait, Roxas?" she said, "Shouldn't you be at work at Le Grand Bistrot? You're not trying to skip work again are you?"  
  
"Sorry, I know I look like him but I'm not Roxas," the boy said with a smile, "Name's Ventus and to be honest... I did not know there was a hidden passage in the basement until now."  
  
"Right," Ana said as she started heading down the stairs, "I'm... just going to ignore you and your plush doll for now and figure out what the voice in my head wants me to find now."  
  
"I am not a plush doll!" the cat then said in annoyance as she and Ventus followed after Ana, their footsteps echoing through the chamber as glowing crystals lining the walls started to glow as they got near them.  
  
"Wait, the thing can talk?" Ana said, doing her best not to stumble as well, "What, are its batteries in its coin purse or something?"  
  
"Chirithy isn't a toy," Ventus then said with a sigh, "She's a Spirit, well, according to her anyway, it's her job to kind of watch over me."  
  
"Right," Ana said, not really caring as she kept walking, only to jump when Ventus appeared next to her with his own keyblade in hand, his own looking like an ivory keyblade with a wing on the side of a red heart with a chunk missing instead of teeth that were normally found on a key. She didn't really notice much other than that but did roll her eyes when he spoke again.  
  
"Your Keyblade looks pretty interesting," he said, "Does it have a name? Mine's called Lost Memory."  
  
"Rose Morning," Ana said, "Anyway Blondie, the name's Ana."  
  
"Nice to meet you, and you can call me Ven if you want," the boy said with a laugh.  
  
"Whatever," Ana said as the stairs led down into a corridor, the walls depicting a mosaic of some sort of war between monsters. Dragons, sea monsters, even some humanoid beings were shown on the walls. She didn't know what they were, and looking towards Ventus as he looked at them in confusion, neither did he. It was as if they had discovered something ancient, the story behind it hidden behind a mosaic they couldn't really decipher as there were pieces missing thanks to the passage of time. Still, as they continued to walk, the pair did chat a bit.  
  
"So, what exactly is a Keyblade?" Ana asked Ventus.  
  
"Well, it's a weapon forged by your own heart, and can only be used by people with very strong hearts to fight the Heartless and Nobodies out there, among other threats as well." Ventus then said, while Ana looked off to the side.  
  
"Nobodies huh, are they those white monsters with a cross-like symbol on them?" Ana then asked while Ven nodded.  
  
"Yeah, you've seen them?"  
  
"Yeah, around Twilight Town occasionally, they sometimes steal extra flowers from the shop for some reason, never really thought to follow them to find out," Ana said with a shrug while Ventus hummed a bit.  
  
"So, you have a flower shop or something?"  
  
"Flower shop, yeah," Ana said, "It's called the Twilight Rose, my uncle and I run it together."  
  
"What about your parents?" Ventus then asked, causing Ana to glare at him.  
  
"None of your business," she said while Ventus decided to change the subject.  
  
"So... how did you get your Keyblade? Did someone ask you to hold theirs at some point in your life?"  
  
"I dunno," said Ana, "I've never even seen a Keyblade before today, all I know is that I had a weird dream with strange voices and stained glass platforms in it, and when this shadow bug thing attacked me, a tree branch I was holding at the time turned into Rose Morning."  
  
"You were fighting Shadows with a tree branch?" Ventus said in disbelief, "Also, it sounds like you had an Awakening in regards to that dream... I had one too and I think all Keybladers get them when they become chosen by the Keyblade."  
  
"Right..." Ana said with a shrug as she continued to walk along the long hallway, and adjusting her jacket along the way as well. Eventually, the pair reached a giant set of double doors carved with the images of various swords, while two great locks joined by heavy chains barred their path.  
  
"So... how do we open these?" Ana said, while Ventus hummed in thought and smiled.  
  
"Well, now that you're a keyblade wielder like me, you can use Rose Morning on any lock you come across." Ventus said, "Just point and focus on unlocking something if you want to open it."  
  
"Wow, sounds like this is the ultimate thieves' tool..." Ana said dryly but did follow Ventus's advice as she pointed her keyblade at one of the locks while Ventus pointed at the other. Next thing she knew, the giant key bucked in her hand a little before sending out a white beam of light into the lock before a click could be heard. She watched as the two great locks turned and she heard something move behind the doors as they opened.  
  
She was about to step inside the newly opened chamber, only to stop when Aqua and the guy from before entered the area with Chirithy, both panting for breath as if they ran all the way into the basement.  
  
"What do you two want?" Ana then asked, only for Aqua to speak first.  
  
"Terra and I wanted to make sure you were alright," she said as she leaned against the wall, "When we found the stairway in the basement along with Chrithy, she told us she sensed something dangerous down here.  
  
"Really? I don't sense anything..." Ventus said in confusion as he dismissed his keyblade for the moment, "But, Ana and I did find this neat hidden room, do you two want to see what's inside?"  
  
"Ven, you shouldn't rush headfirst into possible danger!" Aqua said like a scolding mother to a child, while Chirithy shuddered behind the blue-haired woman, "What if there's a reason that room was locked in the first place?"  
  
"Uh... Aqua?" Terra then said, only to go ignored as he tried to get their attention.  
  
"Come on Aqua, if there was a heartless, I'd be ready for it!" Ven said with a grin.  
  
"Ventus, last time you ran into danger, you ended up asleep for a decade!" Aqua said, only for Terra to put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention, "What is it, Terra?"  
  
"Ana just went inside, and there's definitely something in there with her... asleep," Terra said, causing the trio to enter the room after they heard a clang followed by a masculine voice speaking.  
  
 _"OW! What the hell was that for!?"_


	5. Gilgamesh

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ana meets her first Eidolon, and boy is the guy going to be memorable!

Terra, Aqua, and Ventus looked into the dark room when the voice cried out before glowing crystals lining the walls started to glow brighter to light it. There, they saw Ana, keyblade in hand with her back towards them, though in front of her was a man chained to the wall sitting on the ground. As the trio moved in closer though, they heard the man grumble while Ana started chewing him out.

"What's the big idea, four arms!?" she said, and as Aqua moved closer saw that the giant did indeed have four arms, as well as short, red spiked hair on his head, gray hakama covered in red spots, as well as a tattered red and white yukata on his body and white bandages around his waist. As for the stranger's face, it was white as snow with red lines painted on it, as well as a pair of glowing white eyes.

Just out of the stranger's reach, however, was a weapons rack holding an axe, a spear, and two swords as well a set of red armor with a beetle-like helmet. Though, whoever put it there was either not expecting this to happen, or placed all that there as a cruel joke to the man in chains.

"What are you talking about, lady!?" the stranger then said as he rubbed his head, apparently Ana had hit him there before Aqua entered the room.

"You... You four-armed freak dragged me to this place against my will while all staticky after saying that I should find you back in Twilight Town!" Ana screamed while Ventus and Terra decided to back away a bit.

"Wait, _you're_ the summoner I was waiting for!?" the stranger said, before standing up to reveal that he seemed to be at least a head taller than Terra, before smiling, "This is great! After who knows how long I've been stuck here, I can finally get out of this prison and find my Little Buddy, Enkidu!"

"Excuse me," Aqua said then, getting between Ana and the stranger, "But who or what are you?"

"Who am I?" the stranger said, before striking a few poses like he was some sort of actor in a play, "I am the greatest weapons collector known to man and Eidolon alike, I am the connoisseur of bridges, I am the mighty and totally memorable _GILGAMESH!"_

There was silence in the room as he struck his final pose, his upper arms pantomiming aiming an arrow while his lower arms had his hands on his hips while his legs were spread.

"Eidolon?" asked Aqua, while everyone else looked confused, "What's an Eidolon?"

Gilgamesh was silent for he finally opened his mouth and laughed.

"Ahahahaha! That bastard said that History would decide who the real monster was, and it seems we were forgotten! History can't judge what it can't remember!" he said, before laughing again, only to pause a bit as he realized something, "Wait, that means no one remembers me and Enkidu either. Shit."

"Okay, so what does this summoner business have to do with me!?" Ana then said, causing Gilgamesh to remember his predicament as well and cleared his throat in embarrassment.

"Well... as you can see, I'm kind of... trapped and the bastard who imprisoned me and other Eidolons said that only a summoner, that would be you, miss, can free me and the others." Gil said before remembering Aqua's questions, "Also, Eidolons are beings that summoners can well, summon to help them in battle."

"So, why were these Eidolons sealed away?" Aqua said, feeling like there was a good reason for this.

"Beats me," Gilgamesh said, "All I can remember is that one day everything was fine and dandy, and the next some asshole in a demon mask decided to seal us away and destroy all summoners. Though, since there's a summoner in the room, then I guess he missed some... also, I think I felt a presence of a summoner before my spirit dragged her here so... yeah."

"So... why should I set you free?" Ana then asked, "Also the name's Ana."

"Well..." Gilgamesh said, "We Eidolons can do a lot of things, fight, protect people, and some of us can even heal others."

"Wait, heal others?" Ana said, "Is... there by any chance that there's an Eidolon that can awaken people from comas?"

Gilgamesh paused for a moment, and thought, unaware of the curious look that was exchanged between Aqua, Terra, and Ventus. Finally, Gilgamesh spoke again.

"Well, that sounds like Phoenix's territory, he's known for reviving those who fall unconscious in battle, so reviving someone in a coma shouldn't be a problem," he said before looking at Ana questioningly as he added, "Why? You trying to wake someone up?"

"It's.... personal," Ana said then causing Gilgamesh to nod.

"Very well, then I'll ask once we're alone. So, will you let me out now? These chains are _really_ starting to chafe..."

"Ana, wait," Aqua said, "Maybe you should really think about this? What if there's a good reason that Gilgamesh was imprisoned here?"

"I don't care!" Ana said as she moved past Aqua and started using her keyblade to smash apart the chains. Tears fell down her eyes as she smiled, and in moments Gilgamesh was free from his bonds. As he rubbed his wrists and ankles though, he was surprised by a sudden hug from Ana as she sniffed a bit, causing confusion for everyone. Though, the words she mumbled under her breath were only heard by the Eidolon.

"Finally, finally I can be able to wake him up."

"Hey, we gotta find Phoenix, first," Gilgamesh said as he hugged his summoner back, "Unfortunately... there's just one problem..."

"What?" Ana said, sniffing again as the more experienced Keybladers looked on in further confusion.

"Well... I don't know where all but one Eidolon is located, and even for the one I remember, Enkidu is vague at best. It's like most of my memories just... disappeared or something."

"Oh...." Aqua said with a groan, "That... might have been while the Land of Departure was turned into Castle Oblivion to protect Ven when he was in a coma."

"What," Ana said flatly as she glared at Aqua, "What the hell does that even mean!?"

"Well, Castle Oblivion was designed to confuse those who wandered inside of it and eventually make them forget why they were there in the first place," Aqua said nervously.

"So... basically you didn't know Gil here was in the castle when you changed it or whatever, and now I have to go on a quest to find Phoenix or something?" Ana said, and as Aqua nodded, "So, how did Ven end up coming out of his coma?"

"Oh, that was what our friend Sora did, he used the Power of Waking while my heart was inside of him." Ventus said with a smile, "You could probably learn the Power of Waking as well!"

"I'd rather find Phoenix first," Ana said plainly before looking at Gil, "Listen, if I help you get your friend Enkidu back, will you do your best to help me find Phoenix?"

"Of course!" Gilgamesh said, and took Ana's hand in one of his own to shake it, just as a bright light emitted from their handshake. "Alright, our pact's been made! Now you can summon me when you need me!"

"Shouldn't we look into this more?" Aqua said, "I mean, seriously, for all we know, we just unleashed a monster onto the worlds!"

"Well... he seems pretty harmless," Ventus then said as he rubbed his neck, "A little weird, sure, but I don't sense anything evil about him, Aqua."

"Yeah," said Terra, "I mean, sure everything about this seems suspicious, but... I feel like we could probably trust him."

It was then, a stomach growled rather loudly, followed by Chirithy speaking up.

"Well, it's almost noon now... so... when's breakfast?" the cat said, while Gilgamesh, who had decided to put on his armor as well as a red cloak on his shoulders turned his head to face the group once he had his helmet on.

"Ya know what? Yeah, food sounds good!" he said, and was the first to walk out of his prison.

~0~  


Later, once everyone and Gilgamesh left the hidden dungeon under the castle and reached the kitchen, Aqua would notice that Gilgamesh would glance around every now and then as if looking for something or someone.

"Is something wrong, Gilgamesh?" she then asked once they were close to their destination, "You seem like your confused about something."

"Huh? Oh, I guess I just expected to see someone again, but I can't remember who it was or why," Gilgamesh said with a sigh as he fiddled with his belt buckle, which depicted the head of some sort of green creature, "It probably wasn't important."

"Right," Aqua said, "Maybe you'll remember them in time?"

"I hope so, I wanted to thank that person for spending time with me, even if they couldn't release me at the time. It made my imprisonment a bit more bearable." Gilgamesh said with a smile, before entering the kitchen, the four-armed giant looking in awe at the size of the place.

"Wow! You guys could cook a feast in here if you want!" he said, before heading towards the collection of pans and smiling. "I know what I must do! I shall make for my mistress and her friends... PANCAKES!"

"Wait, what?" all four keyblade wielders and Chirithy then said in confusion, but Gilgamesh quickly started getting to work, searching the kitchen for the proper supplies be it measuring cups or ingredients and four frying pans. Swiftly and expertly, he mixed the ingredients into a batter while putting butter into the pans to grease them up before pouring four different battlers in- chocolate chip, blueberry, strawberry and plain untouched batter. The quintet then watched as Gilgamesh kept on cooking, acting like he was in a duel as while the pancakes were cooking, he chopped up fruit and started whipping cream at the same time- something that probably wouldn't even be possible if it weren't for the fact that he had four arms. As Gilgamesh continued to cook, flipping the pancakes expertly, and even grunting a bit as he fought his battle against hunger, it was clear that he had apparently done this before, and even if he had forgotten, some sort of instinct was at play as he continued to cook and prepare the group's breakfast.

After the pancakes were ready, he was still not done, as he carefully decorated the tops of each stack with fruit and cream, occasionally glancing at the group- or so it seemed with his solid white eyes when it felt like he was staring at them. Soon, his work was done- six plates of four pancakes, each stack containing one of each type he used, while the sixth plate had the smallest pancakes and marked with a little flag showing Chirithy's face and topped with strawberries. Each of the other five stacks was also artfully decorated with fruit and whipped cream on top- one stack with green apples, one stack with a bit of chocolate on top, one stack with blueberries, one stack with bananas and the final stack topped with a bit of everything.

"Bon Appetit, it's time to eat!" Gil said with a smile and a bow as he indicated the table. As the group sat down to eat, the humans were a bit nervous to try and take a bite, because while it all looked good, there was no telling if it was actually safe to eat. Still, when Chirithy took a bite out of her pancakes, she let out a happy mew and started eating more.

"This is delicious!" she said as she tasted each pancake, "Where did you learn to cook, Gilgamesh?"

"I can't remember," Gil said sadly, "I remember the recipes, but not who taught me. Then again, doing this did remind me that I did all the cooking between me and my little buddy Enkidu while he gathered the ingredients."

"Didn't he know how to cook?" Ventus then asked while Terra enjoyed the chocolatey pancake topping his stack, and Aqua was delicately eating her own breakfast. As for Ana, she simply ate what was in front of her, smiling all the while.

"He kind of lacks opposable thumbs," Gilgamesh said with a shrug as he ate his own breakfast- the stack topped with bananas. "Then again, I was fine with that arrangement and so was he. In fact, he'd even eat the leftovers that fell on the ground while I cooked in our camps."

"You must have traveled a lot, huh?" Terra then said with his mouth partially full of food, "How long were you in that room, anyway?"

"I dunno," Gilgamesh said, "There weren't any windows down there and I'm pretty sure I slept for a while waiting for Mistress Ana to arrive."

"Mistress Ana?" said the young woman in question, "Why am I, Mistress Ana?"

"Oh right," Gilgamesh then said, "The pact we made to find Enkidu and then Phoenix means that my loyalty to you is Ab-so-lute. Which means that I can't betray you even if I wanted to. It's the same with all Eidolons and their summoners they've made a pact with. Hell, some Eidolons even make pacts with entire families of summoners now that I think about it."

"Why don't you just call me Ana?" the dark-haired girl then said while Gilgamesh thought for a moment.

"I don't see why not, your probably the first summoner in who knows how long, so I guess us being friends instead of mistress and servant would be a nice change..."

"I-I never said I wanted friends!" Ana said, before turning away, "Besides, my old friends kind of ditched me."

"Wait, what?" the three keybladers and Chirithy then said, before Terra spoke up. "But that's impossible! There's no way friendships could be broken like that! Something must have happened to them..."

"Yeah, it's called they were assholes pretending to be my friends only to show their true colors when I needed their help most," Ana said as she finished her meal, "Anyway, I'm going to find my way back to Twilight Town, thanks for letting me stay here while I was out, I guess."

"Now hold on a minute," Terra said as he stood up, "You can't just go off on your own, Ana. You need training in how to use your keyblade, I mean, do you even know how to get back to Twilight Town, or how to make another of those corridors?"

"I don't care!" Ana said, "I'll find a way on my own because unlike you guys, I have a life to get back to! My uncle's going to be worried sick if I'm not home soon, and I don't want him to go through that pain again!"

"I know it's hard," Aqua said, "But please, you have to at least learn the basics, deal?"

"Fine," Ana said as she crossed her arms, "But my dad already taught me how to fight in a struggle match, what more to it is there?"

"Well, there's magic for starters," Aqua said with a smile, "And I'd be happy to teach you what I know in that department, Terra can help you keep your fighting ability in check along with Ventus."

"Right, when do we start?" Ana said with a sigh, only for the other two more experienced keybladers to look at Aqua as she continued to smile.

"After we're all done with breakfast."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, for those reading and guessed who the prisoner was... It is indeed Gilgamesh, though I am curious about what other guesses you guys might have had as well so please post them in the comments!
> 
> Also, hi, I'm the author and I'm finally making an author's note, sorry for the radio silence up until now.
> 
> So yeah... please comment your thoughts on the story so far, ok?
> 
> As for my favorite moments to write so far at this point, well that would be the struggle match against Julia, Gilgamesh's introduction and finally... the Pancakes Scene.
> 
> That last one I may have written while listening to Clash on the Big Bridge.
> 
> Also, I really hope every canon character shown so far is in character... that's one of the things that worries me most when writing fanfic!


	6. Yen Sid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few days after meeting Aqua, Terra, and Ventus, Ana ends up meeting a certain Sorcerer

It had been a few days since Ana's training began with Terra and Ventus, and while both could admit she had some skill when it came to fighting, especially since her attacks managed to defeat Ventus but not Terra, she still had a long way to go. Especially since it was discovered her keyblade was magic oriented like Aqua's.  
  
At the moment, however, while Terra, Ana, and Aqua were on the training grounds trying to once again help Ana figure out magic, Gilgamesh and Ventus were standing before a keyblade stabbed into the ground, the giant key having three glass stars in orange, blue and green hanging from it.  
  
"This is where we placed Master Eraqus' memorial," Ventus said, while Gilgamesh studied the key in silence, As Ven looked at the four-armed giant, he couldn't tell if he was being respectful or just lost in thought. Then, after a moment, the eidolon's eyes widened as if he realized something.  
  
"Eraqus... that was his name, wasn't it?" Gilgamesh said, causing Ventus to look at him in confusion.  
  
"Well, yeah?" he said, "I did just mention it."  
  
"Well, yeah, but... I just remembered something, that's all." Gilgamesh then said sheepishly, "While I was in that prison, Eraqus found me and we chatted a few times, but... the visits became less and less over time and eventually, he stopped. I figured something might have happened to him, but I never figured he was dead."  
  
"Yeah..." Ventus said sadly, "He... was struck down in battle."  
  
"I see," Gilgamesh said quietly, "But, he does live on in your memories, in a way. Good, bad, he was still your master, maybe even a father figure to you, Terra and Aqua, so while he's gone, he's not forgotten."  
  
"Yeah, I guess he does," Ventus said with a sad smile and was about to say something else when he noticed that Gilgamesh had disappeared.  
  
"Uh... Gil?"  
  


~0~

  
Meanwhile, Ana was once again trying to learn magic from Aqua after sparring with Terra. While she once again could not beat the more experienced warrior, she did admit that she was having fun letting loose in battle outside of the struggle battles she was used to back in Twilight Town. Still, Magic was something completely new to her. She didn't even think it was possible to learn magic, especially since they never really went over anything relating to it back before she graduated from high school. In fact, as she tried to concentrate as Aqua told her to do, she honestly found it frustratingly difficult.  
  
"Are you _sure_ my keyblade has an affinity for magic?" Ana then said in annoyance as she failed to even make an ember appear from her keyblade.  
  
"Yes," Aqua said with a sigh, "I'm not sure what kind yet, but if we keep practicing, then maybe we'll find out, I mean, even I struggled a bit at first."  
  
"And how did you figure it out, Frills?" Ana asked dryly as she glanced at the Keyblade master helping her.  
  
"Well, Master Eraqus helped me out, though... I was a lot younger than you when I started studying the keyblade," Aqua said, "He told me when I was struggling to imagine something that made me happy, and for me... it was snow and how beautiful it could be."  
  
"Something that makes me happy huh?" Ana said as she thought about it, before closing her eyes to think. She thought about her family's shop and all the fun she had learning about flowers and their meanings, her dad and later her uncle spending time with Ana and cheering her up after her mother disappeared. She thought of her walks through the Twilight Town woods she'd take after school, the sunlight shining through the leaves as it set for the day. The smell of the earth after a rainy day and seeing new life grow from the ground every Spring. As she thought more and more about what she liked, she felt something well up in her, a warm kind of feeling as her keyblade started unleashing the scent of roses in the air.  
  
Finally, a word came into her mind, and Ana was compelled to say it.  
  
 _"Leaf!"_ she invoked, and after a flash of green, the target she was practicing on was struck with a trio of spinning leaves coming from the tip of her keyblade. The leaves sliced through the target, and as Ana watched this, she smiled as she finally got an idea on how to at least cast one spell.  
  
"I've never seen a spell like that one before!" Aqua said in surprise, "Did you invent it yourself?"  
  
"I guess..." Ana said with a shrug, "I just said whatever came to my head after following your advice, Frills."  
  
"I see," Aqua said as she crossed her arms, "Still, congratulations on your first spell, now then, I think it's time we practice the Shotlock Technique again."  
  
"Oh fun, I get to blast stuff with petals again," Ana said with a smile despite her sarcastic tone. While Aqua was still a bit frustrated by Ana at times, she had to admit she was learning some things quickly compared to others. In fact, as she recalled it took a certain boy a couple of years to master Shotlock, while Ana managed to do it on the first day of training. Then again, unlike Ana, Sora didn't really have a master to go to until a couple of years after he first gained a keyblade at fourteen.  
  
 _I wonder how Sora is doing, anyway?_ Aqua thought as she watched Ana focus and take in the targets with her keyblade, before unleashing a storm of rose petals from her keyblade that scattered about and cut through the practice targets she made with her own ice-based magic.  
  
"Again!" Aqua said as she created more targets for Ana to use, though as she and Terra watched the less experienced Keyblade Wielder, they both noticed that Ana's Rose Morning was starting to act strangely, instead of unleashing another storm of petals, it instead fired a beam of light from its tip and created a portal just as something unseen started pulling Ana through.  
  
"Ah shit, not again!" Ana said, trying her best to stand her ground despite the invisible tug of war going on between her and the portal. Unfortunately, something pushed her and she stumbled forward, being dragged across the grass of the training field and into the gateway.  
  
"Terra, go after her!" Aqua said quickly, and the brunette nodded and ran towards the portal he was close to, running through it just before it closed, leaving Aqua alone for the moment until Ventus ran up to her in a bit of a panic.  
  
"Aqua!" he shouted as he reached the area, getting the Keyblade Master's attention as Aqua turned to face him.  
  
"Ven, what's wrong? Where's Gilgamesh!?" Aqua asked as she noticed the four-armed giant vanished from sight.  
  
"I don't know, we were visiting Master Eraqus's memorial and talked a bit and he just vanished!"  
  
"What!?" Aqua said, not sure what was going on now as she ran a hand through her short, blue hair, "Listen, another portal opened up and Ana was dragged into it, I sent Terra after her, but hopefully, he'll be able to contact us through his Gummi Phone, so we should know where they ended up soon."  
  
"Yeah," Ven said with a nod, pulling out his phone and looking at the screen. Then, there was a jingle and the screen came to life with a message from Terra.  
  
"It says he's at Yen Sid's tower... followed by a string of emojis," Ven said with a sigh as he showed his phone to Aqua, who let out a groan.  
  
"That's... going to take some time to decipher," she said while Ventus nodded in agreement.  
  


~0~  


"Owww...." Ana said as she arrived on the other side of the portal, her face on the ground after that one final tug from her keyblade or whatever it was that was pulling it into the portal again. Though, just as she was about to get up, a strong hand then picked her up and set her down on the ground, the young woman turning her head to see Terra messing with what looked like a phone.  
  
"Okay, there's that message sent," Terra said more to himself as he looked to Ana, "Are you alright?"  
  
"Oh, I'm fine, not like I was just dragged across the dirt or anything, Lunkhead," Ana said dryly as she got up and dusted herself off, before checking to see that her necklace was still around her neck. Feeling the lucky emblem still on her person, she gave a sigh of relief as she stretched a bit and looked around the area. To her, it looked like they were on a hill with a couple of trees as a strange-looking tower rose above them. What's more, the sky was odd to Ana, the colors ever-shifting like an Aurora that she read about once in school.  
  
"What is this place?" she asked Terra, hoping that he would know.  
  
"Looks like we're at Yen Sid's tower," he said, causing Ana more confusion.  
  
"Ok, who is Yen Sid?" she asked as she put her hands on her hips as she looked at the taller man.  
  
"He's a retired Keyblade Master and a powerful sorcerer," Terra said, "So best show some respect to him, alright?"  
  
"Fine, fine," Ana said with a shrug, "Let's just get going."  
  
Terra nodded and led the way into the tower, the pair saying nothing as they walked up the stairs leading up to the top of the tower. Of course, when they opened the door to the top of the stairs, they were met with an old man sitting behind a desk, the man wearing a blue robe and a blue, pointed hat decorated with silver stars and a crescent moon. His gray beard split in two at the bottom and the most prominent feature on the man's face was his hooked nose and large eyebrows, giving him an appearance much like an owl.  
  
"Welcome, Terra," the old man said, before looking to Ana, "And who might you be, young Keyblade Wielder?"  
  
"Ana, sir," the young woman said, "How did you know I have a keyblade?"  
  
"Master Yen Sid can sense the comings and goings of other Keyblade Wielders like us," Terra said, while Ana nodded.  
  
"That is indeed correct," Yen Sid then said with a nod, "Though, how you came to this tower, is something I cannot sense."  
  
"We came through a shining corridor," Ana said, "Is that a normal method of travel?"  
  
"No, it is not," Yen Sid said, "though those who bear the keyblade may travel by their own means, this is the first I've heard about a light corridor being used. Tell me Ana, where do you come from, and where did you obtain a keyblade?"  
  
Ana found herself summoning her keyblade to her hand as she answered the old sorcerer.  
  
"I... I'm from Twilight Town sir, and honestly, I don't know why I have this keyblade of mine. All I know is that I had a weird dream with stained glass platforms, I got attacked in the woods by a heartless, according to Aqua when I told her my story, and that before I left Twilight Town these... staticky monsters showed up, gave me a headache and asked me to find them." Ana said, just before she heard a familiar voice in her head.  
  
 _"Woah! Okay, weird stained glass place. Definitely not normal!"_ she heard Gilgamesh say, causing her to look around in confusion.  
  
"Something wrong?" Terra then asked, equally confused until Ana spoke up.  
  
"I could have sworn I just heard Gil, he said he was in that weird Stained Glass place I dreamt about before I got my keyblade.  
  
 _"Hey! I can hear you both! That's good,"_ Gilgamesh then said, before adding, _"Now... how do I get out of this void the stained glass platform I'm standing on is located? Seriously, I am not a fan of this at all!"_  
  
"It seems that this 'Gilgamesh' is located in someone's heart, most likely Ana's since she can hear him," Yen Sid then said, "Ana, Perhaps you have the power to call him into the room?"  
  
"Ok, I don't how to do that, but I guess I'll try..." Ana said, pointing her keyblade downward as she spoke, "Hey Gilgamesh, how do I get you out in the open?"  
  
As soon as she asked that, her keyblade suddenly turned to the right on its own, before a click was heard by all in the room. Then, came a flash of light and a very confused Gilgamesh standing before Yen Sid's desk.  
  
"Okay, Ana, Terra and..." Gil said before turning to face the old man, his white eyes zeroing in on a certain feature of the man, "Wow, you got some bushy eyebrows!"  
  
"Gil!" Ana said, causing the eidolon to turn to face her, "Show some respect, ok?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, sorry," Gilgamesh said sheepishly while he turned back to Yen Sid and gave a polite bow, "The Mighty Gilgamesh, at your service, sir."  
  
"A pleasure to meet you, Gilgamesh," Yen Sid said with a nod, "Now then, what exactly are you?"  
  
"I'm an Eidolon," Gilgamesh then said, "A spirit or guardian force that can be used to aid a summoner that calls upon them, at least that's what I can recall- my memory's been a bit wonky since I was unsealed a few days ago. It's coming back, slowly, but still wonky in places."  
  
"I see," Yen Sid then said, "And why and how long were you sealed?"  
  
"Listen, I don't know!" Gil said, "And that's for both questions, all I can remember is that one moment, everyone was living peacefully, and in the next, some asshole in a demon mask decided to round up and seal the eidolons and destroy all summoners! But I guess he managed to miss some since Ana was able to free me!"  
  
"And why did Ana decide to free you?" Yen Sid then asked, seemingly filing away this information for later.  
  
"Because he could help me find something called Phoenix, and with that eidolon, I'll be able to wake my dad up from his coma," Ana then said surprising Terra.  
  
"Your dad's in a coma?" he said while Ana nodded sadly.  
  
"Yeah... for about a year now," Ana then said, "He collapsed a year ago in our flower shop without warning, and he's been asleep ever since. Doctors don't know what's wrong with him, people started a rumor about him being dead, and well... it's a lot of stress for a seventeen-year-old high schooler to go through... I'm not even sure how I managed to finish high school with as much stress I've had taking care of dad with my uncle's help."  
  
"I see," Yen Sid then said, before steepling his fingers together, "And if you cannot find Phoenix, what then, Ana?"  
  
"I-I don't know..." Ana said with a sigh.  
  
"Perhaps," Yen Sid then said gently, "You should find an alternative? There is a power certain keyblade wielders have called the Power of Waking, and two of them currently exist- Master Riku and a boy named Sora. If you so choose, then perhaps I can call upon one of them to help you awaken your father, or you can train and learn it for yourself?"  
  
"Sorry, but no," Ana said firmly, "My dad taught me to always do what I can on my own before asking for help. I haven't done anything yet, so I intend to at least try and look before giving up... no matter how long it takes."  
  
"And where do you plan to start looking?" Yen Sid challenged before Ana looked to Gilgamesh, who was busy looking at his reflection in his battle axe's blade.  
  
"Well, since Gil is an Eidolon, he might know where the others are hidden, right?" Ana said causing the four-armed giant to put his axe away and clear his throat.  
  
"Uh... about that," he then said, "As it stands, my memory isn't the best, and I can only recall where one other Eidolon is located, my little buddy Enkidu. I tried to bust him out but got captured myself, but I do recall he was in this bright place with crystals growing everywhere."  
  
"A bright world with crystals..." Yen Sid then said, before looking to Terra, "Perhaps Enkidu is in the world of Radiant Garden?"  
  
"World?" Gilgamesh then said, "Sorry to ask this, but what do you mean by _world?_ Shouldn't Radiant Garden be just a town somewhere? Like Land of Departure or something?"  
  
"The Land of Departure and Radiant Garden are separate worlds, much like this tower and even Twilight Town are separate worlds."  
  
There was silence in the room, Gilgamesh's eyes wide as things suddenly were put in place.  
  
"H-How long was I asleep!?" he then asked no one in particular, "Worlds instead of countries or towns? Just... just what the blazes happened to the world while I was sealed away!? Did the Apocalypse happen or something!? Oh man, I really hope the world didn't end, cause if so then I'm extra worried about Enkidu!"  
  
"I'm sure he's fine," Ana said, doing her best to comfort the panicking Eidolon.  
  
"Perhaps Gilgamesh needs some fresh air to clear his head?" Yen Sid then said calmly as the Eidolon and his summoner looked at him.  
  
"Yeah... m-maybe I do," Gilgamesh then said with a nod, before leaving the room through the doors leading downstairs, Ana following after him to make sure he was alright. As Terra was about to leave however, Yen Sid spoke again.  
  
"Terra, would you mind staying behind so that we may speak?" the old sorcerer then said, earning a nod from Terra as he closed the door and spoke.  
  
"What is it, Master?" Terra asked a bit quietly, "Is it about what--"  
  
"No, it is not about what happened to you, not entirely," Yen Sid then said, "I actually have a mission for you because of your fall to darkness."  
  
"Master?" Terra then asked, feeling an odd sense of dread about where this was going.  
  
"I want you to travel with Ana and keep an eye on her," Yen Sid said, "While like Sora, she has the power to summon, she also might fall to darkness if left unchecked."  
  
"So you want me to keep an eye on her and make sure she isn't tempted by the Darkness?" Terra then asked, watching as the retired master nodded.  
  
"Indeed," Yen Sid said as he looked Terra in the eye, "With Maleficent still on the loose, there is no telling how she might try to tempt Ana to her side once she knows of her existence. And since you are still wanting to become a Keyblade Master, I might consider this journey to be a variety of trials you must pass, before you earn the title of Master."  
  
"I see," Terra then said with a nod of his own, "Very well, I'll do my best to protect Ana, and I'm sure Gilgamesh will too."  
  
"Good," Yen Sid said with a small smile on his lips, "Now, go and tell Ana and her companion to come back into this room, I wish to have a word with them about where to begin their journey."  
  
"Very well, Master," Terra said with a bow, before he left the room, and also Yen Sid to his thoughts.


	7. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More talking with Yen Sid leads to discoveries and a ticket home for Ana.

Outside of the closed door leading to Yen Sid's office, Ana and Gilgamesh were sitting on the stairs, the summoner doing her best to comfort the four-armed giant.  
  
"I just.. I can't believe there are other worlds now!" Gilgamesh then said while Ana patted him on his lower-left arm while having an awkward look on her face. "I mean, I think the Eidolons were sealed as far apart from each other as they could get, but I didn't think that other worlds would get involved... or that other worlds even existed before today!"  
  
"Maybe... maybe the worlds were all one world, but something happened to make them separate?" Ana guessed with a shrug, "But yeah... I'm still getting used to the idea of more than one world out there too."  
  
"I see," Gilgamesh said with a sigh, "I just hope Enkidu is alright, I mean, sure this will make our mission harder, but in the end... I think it will be fun."  
  
"Fun?" Ana asked as she raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, yeah, someone- I can't remember who yet, told me once that a long journey can teach you more about yourself than a short one."  
  
"I guess you have a point," Ana said begrudgingly, "Still when I get back to Twilight Town, I just know I'll have a lot of explaining to do to Uncle Martin."  
  
"Yeah..." Gil said, placing a hand on Ana's shoulder in return, before a thought crossed his mind, "Listen, I want to make an oath to you, here and now."  
  
"What sort of oath?" Ana asked as she glanced at the giant.  
  
"I, the Mighty Gilgamesh, swear that after we find Enkidu and free him, that we'll do whatever it takes to help you find Phoenix and awaken your father." he then said with a smile. Ana felt something from his words, a surge of energy entering her heart as she placed her free hand over the one that was gently gripping her shoulder and nodded.  
  
"Alright, I accept the deal," Ana said with a small smile before the door opened up behind them. Losing the smile, Ana then turned to see Terra behind them at the top of the steps, an eyebrow raised as he looked at them.  
  
"Am I interrupting something?" he then asked, only for Ana to pull away from Gil as she stood up.  
  
"No, not really, how did your chat with Yen Sid go?" she asked as she stretched a little while Gilgamesh stood up as well.  
  
"It went alright," Terra then said, "Though, now Yen Sid wants to talk with both of you in private."  
  
"Alright," Ana said as she and Gilgamesh walked past Terra and re-entered the office. There, Yen Sid continued to sit behind his desk, though now there was a mirror next to the desk as well. While Ana wasn't sure what the mirror was for, it was up to Gilgamesh to speak up before she could.  
  
"So, what's with the mirror?" he said, only for the old sorcerer to clear his throat before he answered the four-armed giant.  
  
"This mirror has an enchantment on it, that should help guide you on your journey's start," he said, while Gilgamesh rushed over to the mirror and looked at it.  
  
"So, this can show me Enkidu?" he said with a hopeful grin as he stared at the mirror, Ana doing her best to look over his shoulder as an image appeared on it. The reflection wasn't of Gilgamesh however, but of a green dog-like gargoyle with small purple wings and horns as well as an orange mohawk and glowing white eyes sitting in the middle of a pentagram made of swords, spears, and other weapons. The creature honestly looked sad as it tried to say something, but as the mirror didn't produce any sound, it was impossible to know what the creature was saying. Though, after a moment, the creature looked dejected as he hung his head and sighed, before looking at something out of the mirror's view and speaking again, a sad look in his large white eyes. Then, the image began to shake, followed by a light entering the room from the side, causing the creature to blink before it ran out of view at blinding speed.  
  
After that, the image changed, showing the creature in a canyon full of purple crystals as it looked around in curiosity, before running off towards a town in the distance as the image faded.  
  
"Enkidu..." Gilgamesh then said sadly, "I'm sorry I couldn't free you myself..."  
  
Ana said nothing but put a hand on the giant's lower left arm to try and comfort him.  
  
"It seems that your friend Enkidu is indeed in Radiant Garden, Gilgamesh," Yen Sid then said, "However, there is no telling what trouble he may get into without your help, especially if he finds himself facing the Heartless."  
  
"Okay, but what's heartless?" Gilgamesh then asked, "Also, I think you're missing a word, sorry if I might have interrupted there."  
  
"You did no such thing," Yen Sid said, before conjuring up an image of a shadowy humanoid with a hunched over body, antenna and big yellow eyes as well as a strange-looking creature that resembled a soldier with a red and black heart in its body.  
  
"These," Yen Sid said as he indicated the images, "Are Heartless- beings born of darkness in people's hearts. They have only one goal in mind- to gather hearts and make more of their kind."  
  
Gilgamesh said nothing at this, nor did Ana, though words did echo in the giant's mind- a long distant memory coming back to the surface.  
  
 _"Bastard, I hope that in however many lives you have, you always fall to darkness!"_  
  
"He must be making a big Heartless then..." Gilgamesh mumbled under his breath then, before getting a look from Yen Sid, "Sorry, just thinking about something, it's not important."  
  
"Very well," Yen Sid then said with a nod, before Ana spoke up.  
  
"So, we gotta be careful of the Heartless then," she said as she crossed her arms, "That should be easy, just use the keyblade smack whatever is shadowy with yellow eyes, right?"  
  
"In a sense, yes," Yen Sid said with a nod before changing the images to a pair of white, humanoid creatures with large heads and slim limbs that moved a little unnaturally.  
  
"What are those things!?" Gilgamesh said in horror as he stared at the creatures that were magically projected, while Ana didn't really react to seeing them.  
  
"They're Nobodies," Ana said, earning an inquisitive look from Yen Sid, "I heard someone talk about them once while running errands for the flower shop. From what I heard, they're left behind when someone with a strong will loses their heart, right?"  
  
"That is correct," Yen Sid said with another nod, "Though you seem to have seen them before from your lack of reaction. Would you like to explain why?"  
  
"They sometimes come around the shop to steal leftover or nearly dead flowers for some reason," Ana said with a shrug, "Don't know why, but since they haven't tried attacking the shop or me and my family, I don't really care."  
  
"You should," Yen Sid said, "Nobodies can be quite dangerous- especially when they appear as human as you or I, Ana. Next time you see a Nobody, do not ignore it, understand?"  
  
"Yes sir," Ana said as she gave a curt nod in return, "So, how do I get back to Twilight Town from here? I know I should get to this Radiant Garden place, but I think it would be best to go back to my homeworld to get supplies for the journey, right?"  
  
"That is indeed practical," Yen Sid said with a nod, "And you have the power to get home on your own if you use the Corridors of Light you create with your Keyblade."  
  
"Yeah... about that..." Ana said with a sigh, "Truth is, whenever I've made a Corridor of Light before now? My Keyblade's been acting on its own and pulling me through."  
  
"I see," Yen Sid said before he started stroking his long beard, "Perhaps to master this ability you must take charge of where you wish to go."  
  
"I'll see if that helps, sir," Ana said politely as she could before she looked around the room and noticed another pair of doors near the desk, "What's in that room?"  
  
"That is where the three good fairies reside," Yen Sid said, "It is there, that you may reinforce your clothes to be better suited against the forces of Darkness."  
  
"Alright, thanks," Ana said with a nod as she headed into the next room with Gil in tow. Inside the room was a series of mirrors of varying different sizes as well as three women in green, blue and red that wore pointed hats and dresses. They seemed to be discussing something as Ana entered the room. However, when they heard the door open, they stopped talking and immediately looked at her, causing the dark-haired girl to feel nervous as Gilgamesh entered the room as well.  
  
"We heard the whole thing from in here," said the woman in red, "I'm Flora, and this is Fauna and Merriweather."  
  
As she indicated the other two fairies, the one in blue, Merriweather moved closer to Ana, and moved right past her to look at Gilgamesh.  
  
"You're not an agent of Maleficent, are you?" said the pudgy fairy with black hair, only for Gilgamesh to blink in confusion.  
  
"Uh... I don't even know who that is, lady, I'm just here with Ana to get some extra armor or something." was all Gilgamesh said as he held his arms up defensively.  
  
"Hmm... I see," Merriweather then said as she flew back to the other fairies who then started examining Ana's clothes and mumbling to themselves. Then, they used their wands to cast some magic upon her, causing Ana to feel a little uncomfortable. However, when her blue dress turned red, that was when she started to get annoyed. But, instead of yelling, she decided to just try and keep calm when Merriweather changed her clothes back to normal.  
  
And that, was when the argument started between Flora and Merriweather. The two seemed to be going to war over which color was better on Ana- red or blue, with the pair turning her clothes into their respective side- or at least the dress she was wearing anyway. As the argument continued, it was Fauna who eventually saved the day.  
  
"Perhaps you two should ask Ana what she thinks?" said the voice of reason in the room, allowing the two fairies to stop and look at the dark-haired girl in question.  
  
"I like blue in terms of color," Ana said as she got straight to the point, "If you want something red, stick with Gil, he seems to like the color after all."  
  
"Very well," Flora said while Merriweather seemed to beam with pride, and in a moment, all three fairies worked their magic on Ana and Gilgamesh, and already Ana could feel a bit different in her clothes.  
  
Later, once her clothes were prepared for battle and she bid goodbye to Yen Sid, Ana and Gilgamesh headed back to the entrance, where they saw Terra talking into a phone.  
  
"Hey, Aqua," he said, "Listen, Yen Sid's given me a mission so it's going to be a while before I get back to the Land of Departure. What mission? Well, I have to keep an eye on Ana and make sure she doesn't fall to Darkness. Yes, I know it's worrying, but I'll do my best to handle it. Yes, I'll keep you both updated on Kingstagram."  
  
He mumbled something else then, though Ana didn't catch what he said as he hung up his phone and slipped it into his pants pocket. He also didn't even notice the pair until Ana cleared her throat. He turned to face her, before giving a small wave as he spoke to her.  
  
"So, how did it go?" Terra said, while Ana merely summoned her keyblade and twirled it in her hand a bit.  
  
"It was pretty informative, now, let's get going... I want to try making a portal on my own," Ana said with determination in her voice.  
  
"Okay, if you're sure..." Terra then said, though his tone was doubtful as he watched Ana point her keyblade at the wall and concentrate. Ana focused on her homeworld of Twilight Town, how her uncle was worried about her and how she wanted to let him know what was going on. She wanted to find him again, to go home where she belonged, to the place her father was sleeping. She could feel something fighting against her as she focused, a barrier of sorts but she did her best to fight through it. To pass on through to go home.  
  
Her keyblade then started to shine as the smell of roses filled the air, followed by a beam of light firing at the wall which soon turned into a portal.  
  
"Haha! I did it!" Ana said as she jumped for joy and smiled.  
  
"Wow, I didn't think she could smile..." Terra said to himself while Gilgamesh whispered.  
  
"She can, when she wants to. I think she's just grumpy about friendship or something." said the giant, before Ana turned to them and spoke again.  
  
"Hey, you two coming or what?" she said as she pointed at the corridor of light with her keyblade, "For all I know, this thing will disappear if I go through it without you guys, so you better get going, Lunkhead!"  
  
"What about Gil?" Terra said, before looking around and seeing that Gilgamesh was gone again, "Where did he go?"  
  
"I think he's back in my heart," Ana then said, "I can kind of hear him freaking out again in my head."  
  
"Right..." Terra said with a groan as he walked into the corridor and passed through it before Ana did.  
  
On the other side of the corridor was the ever beautiful golden sky of Twilight Town and the forest between the town itself and the abandoned mansion. As the pair looked around, Ana looked relieved that her idea worked while Terra seemed impressed by the scenery. While Terra hadn't really been to Twilight Town before, he could see that for Ana, it was home. She had finally returned home and as Terra noticed the tears in her eyes, and wondered if the adventuring life really was for her after all. As he recalled, he didn't really feel all that homesick when he was on his journey, or even when he first came to the Land of Departure. He honestly wasn't sure why either, but that just how it ended up for him and Aqua.  
  
"Ana!" a voice then called out from the woods, causing both keyblade wielders to turn to see a middle-aged man with light brown hair in a crew cut and green eyes as well as wearing a white shirt and khaki pants under a green apron with the words "Twilight Rose" surrounding a flower. Terra then watched as Ana hugged the man, and realized it was her uncle as he spoke to her.  
  
"Oh, Ana, when I heard what happened from that Pence boy, I was worried sick! I spent the last few days looking for you while running the shop. I didn't want to lose you too, Ana! I'm just glad you're home." he said, tears in his eyes as Ana hugged him back. Then, the man opened his green eyes and looked into Terra's blue ones, before a look of suspicion crossed his face as he let his niece go and spoke again, getting between her and Terra, before asking a very simple question.  
  
"Who the hell are you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so Ana finally returns home to Twilight Town, which will most likely act as a hub of sorts for our heroes in the fic. We also see Martin again and learn what Pence did after Ana left Twilight Town.


	8. Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day back in Twilight Town after Ana returns home. Little does she know, however, there are some people out to get her...

The ticking of the clock was the only noise in the living room above the Twilight Rose flower shop. Martin was staring at his niece Ana, and the man who returned to Twilight Town with her, Terra after they had told him what had been going on in the past few days.  
  
"So, let me get this straight," he said after he took a deep breath and raised a hand near his face, "Ana has this power of summoning as well as access to some weapon called a keyblade, and this keyblade basically kidnapped her to this place called the Land of Departure, where she met this eidolon thingy named Gilgamesh. Then, after training for a few days, she got dragged to some tower where a guy named Yen Sid offered her some other power, but she insisted on finding the thing this Gilgamesh guy told her about called Phoenix to wake up my brother-in-law. Is that about right?"  
  
"Yeah, pretty much, Uncle Martin," Ana said while Terra simply nodded. As a result of their answer, Martin simply dragged his hand against his face and let out a groan.  
  
"And how do I know you didn't go to the beach and met this guy there?" Martin then said, "Cause I'll be honest, the whole 'Other Worlds' thing sounds a bit crazy."  
  
"What do you want me to do, then?" Ana then asked, "Summon Gilgamesh to prove my story?"  
  
"Yes, thank you!" Martin then said as he crossed his arms. He watched as his niece stood up from her spot on the couch, held out her hand and brought forth in a flash of light a strange-looking key before pointing it towards the floor and turning it to the right with a click as she spoke.  
  
"Gilgamesh!" she said, and in another flash of light, there stood next to her an armored, four-armed giant of a man, who simply waved at Martin and smiled in silence.  
  
"Oh, Ana," Martin then said in disbelief, "Why didn't you go to the beach?"  
  
Ana said nothing and instead flopped down on the couch as Gil vanished from sight.  
  


~0~  


The following morning, Terra would wake up on the living room couch, the brown-haired man having been told to rest in the living room after Ana's near-collapse from summoning Gil for the second time. Turns out, it took a lot of magic to keep an eidolon in the physical world, and Ana, as a summoner had a lot of it for Gilgamesh to be present in three worlds so far after their pact had been made. Then again, he had been present for a few days beforehand so that might have meant something as well. Luckily, she just needed a full night's sleep to recharge, though Terra knew that after this, she'd need to be careful how often she summoned Gilgamesh in the future.  
  
Terra's Gummi Phone then went off on the coffee table next to him, causing him to pick it up and see who was calling him as he answered the phone.  
  
"Hey Ven," Terra then said into the phone, only for his adoptive little brother to ask.  
  
 _"Hey Terra, where are you right now?"_  
  
"I'm in Twilight Town on Ana's couch," Terra said, before something popped into his mind, "How's Aqua doing?"  
  
 _"She's sleeping in the library, again,"_ Ventus said with a sigh, _"It's like she's in there looking for something, but I honestly can only guess what it is."_  
  
"Did you try asking her?" Terra asked, recalling how badly a lack of communication caused him, his friends and his father figure a lot of trouble in the past.  
  
 _"Yeah, but she said she wants to find more about Gilgamesh and the Eidolons. Maybe to find out why they were sealed away or something? I really don't know for sure."_  
  
"Hopefully so," Terra said with a sigh, "I just hope things don't turn out like last time we had a journey..."  
  
 _"Yeah..."_ Ventus said with a sigh of his own, _"Thankfully, these Gummi Phones help us stay in contact with not just each other, but the rest of the keyblade wielders, well, except for Ana."_  
  
"I know," Terra said with a nod, before he heard a door creak open, "Anyway, I gotta go- last night Ana's uncle mentioned something about me working around the flower shop so... I'll talk to you later."  
 _  
"Later,"_ Ventus said before the call ended then and there. As Terra looked up, however, he saw instead of Martin but Ana heading into another room and quickly closing the door behind her. Curious, Terra was about to go over and see whose room that was before a hand touched his shoulder causing him to turn and see Martin behind him.  
  
"H-How long have you been standing there!?" Terra said in surprise, mainly due to the fact that a mere flower shop owner could sneak up on him like that!  
  
"Long enough," Martin said as he crossed his arms, "Anyway, let's not eavesdrop on Ana telling her dad about the past few days, ok? Privacy is a beautiful thing after all."  
  
"But-" Terra said, only for the smaller man to start dragging Terra into the kitchen.  
  
"No buts, breakfast time and we got to discuss what you'll be doing for the flower shop- since you don't know Twilight Town like Ana and me, I guess a strong looking man like you can do some heavy lifting- moving saplings and bags of potting soil and mulch to the backroom could work, also maybe guard against those monsters that come by and steal flowers from the shop as well."  
  
"Uh... right, I think Ana mentioned that..." Terra said as he watched Martin cook up some eggs and bacon as well as some coffee. As the middle-aged man said nothing in return, however, Terra started to feel a bit uncomfortable as well, before remembering something the man said the day before.  
 _  
I didn't want to lose you too._  
  
"Hey Martin," Terra then said, "Did... you lose somebody when Ana was missing?"  
  
Martin stopped cooking for a moment, caught off guard by the question before sighing sadly as he answered, "Yeah, my sister Leila- Ana's mother. She... disappeared years ago, no one knows what happened either."  
  
Terra said nothing. What could he say? To hear that happened to Ana's mother years ago, and then hearing that his own niece vanished as well? The whole experience must have been a nightmare for Martin.  
  
All Terra could do as Ana entered the room, was wait for breakfast and listen in on her and Martin's conversation as the two acted like nothing was wrong.  
  


~0~

After breakfast was done, Ana was busy making a delivery for the flower shop- an elderly couple celebrating their anniversary with a bouquet of red roses, yellow lilies, and baby's breath. It was a simple bouquet and Ana's only delivery for the shop that day, but she didn't mind. In fact, after recent events, it felt rather nice to have a bit of normalcy back in her life.  
  
Unfortunately, a familiar-looking girl with blonde-dyed hair came into her view and nearly made Ana drop the bouquet she was transporting.  
  
"What do you want, Julia?" Ana asked the other girl, who merely glared at her before clearing her throat and speaking.  
  
"I want a rematch. Now." Julia then said, getting straight to the point.  
  
"No," Ana said, moving to walk past Julia, only for the other girl to block Ana's path.  
  
"I'm not leaving you alone until you give me a rematch, Corpse Girl," Julia then said, glaring even more at Ana as the dark-haired girl glared back.  
  
"Listen, I have work right now and only one delivery to make. Once I'm done, I'll meet you at the sandlot, ok?" Ana said with a growl, only for Julia to smirk and move to pat Ana's cheek.  
  
"You always were a good girl, Ana," Julia said, only for Ana to move away from the other girl's hand and start walking away. Ana didn't really care for Julia touching her anymore, and treating her like some sort of pet.  
  
 _"Wow, that was creepy,"_ Ana then heard Gilgamesh say in her mind, causing Ana to think back to Gil.  
  
 _Yeah... Julia and I had a bad relationship when we were friends, she'd always wanted to be the center of attention, and when I wouldn't pay attention to her after my dad fell into his coma... well, she refused to help me when I asked her for it._  
  
Gilgamesh was silent then, but Ana could feel anger boiling inside her- whether his or her own, she couldn't really tell.  
  
 _"She's a horrible friend!"_ Gil then shouted in Ana's mind, nearly causing her to drop the bouquet she was transporting as a result as he continued _, "I may have been a thief once, but dammit when it came to my friend Enkidu I never treated him as a pet to be rewarded for doing what I said! She's toxic, is what she is, and makes my blood boil! Ana, just so you know, I would neve_ r treat _you like she does- neither as my mistress summoner or as my friend."  
  
Thanks,_ Ana thought back with a small smile as she continued walking, and closed in on her delivery destination as well.  
  
  
Later, after the delivery was made with a smile on her face, and munny paid, Ana went back to her grumpy self as she made her way to the sandlot, walking to make Julia wait as long as possible for her to arrive- a bit of payback for a time when Julia did the same to Ana back when they were friends, all because Julia didn't want to go to the film festival Mr. McDuck started and instead wanted to go to the beach. As Ana hummed a bit to herself as she walked, only to nearly run into a tall man in black clothes and striking red hair- Axel.  
  
"Shouldn't you be at work?" Ana then said as she crossed her arms and stared at the red-head, only for Axel to chuckle a bit nervously.  
  
"I'm kinda taking a walk while Hayner, Pence, and Olette cover our shift at the bistro, Roxas and Xion both caught a cold and since I'm the only one at one hundred percent, I figured I'd be the one running errands today, though I didn't think you'd be back in town so soon, I figured you'd still be at Land of Departure."  
  
"So you know about that place?" Ana said as she quirked an eyebrow, only for Axel to laugh before whispering aloud.  
  
"You could say I'm from another world myself, a place called Radiant Garden,"  
  
"Funny, because once Terra and I get supplies we're heading there next," Ana said, causing Axel to look surprised.  
  
"Really? Whatever for?" Axel asked almost teasingly while Ana rolled her eyes and spoke up.  
  
"None of your business," she said as she turned away from Axel, only for the redhead to sigh.  
  
"Let me guess then, it has something to do with that Gilgamesh Guy Ventus told me about over the phone?" Axel then said, causing Ana to flinch and turn back around.  
  
"Keybladers have a network?" Ana asked flatly, only for Axel to grin as he pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Ana. That something turned out to be a red and gold phone.  
  
"Yep, and now you're apart of it!" Axel said with a laugh, "Also, the numbers of all the other Keybladers, as you called us, are already loaded into your phone, and a profile's been started for you on Kingstagram. That way you can share your photos and the like with the rest of us."  
  
"Thanks, I guess," Ana said as she slid the phone into her jacket's pocket for now.  
  
"What are friends for?" Axel said with a cat-like smile, his bright green eyes looking into Ana's own dark green ones.  
  
"We're not friends," she said as she moved away from the redhead, "Anyway, I got to go to the Sandlot for a match, so I guess I'll use my new phone to let Terra know what's up or something."  
  
With that, she walked away once more, Axel simply smiling to himself as he decided briefly to watch Ana fight. He had heard about her battle from Roxas, after all, and wanted to see for himself what the newly nicknamed "Ana the Destroyer" could do in a fight.  
  


~0~  


At the Sandlot in Twilight Town, Ana arrived after texting Terra that she'd be a bit late in getting supplies with him due to her match. However, when she got there, she found that not only was Julia wasn't alone, but she had also brought along four other people. One was a boy a little younger than them with a black beanie on his head and a white sleeveless coat, another was a girl with silver hair that covered one of her eyes that wore dark blue and a large, muscley boy with dark hair and a penchant for orange clothes. Finally, there was a short boy with a pointy hat that obscured his face, save for his yellow eyes, and blue and white clothes that seemed a little bit big on him.  
  
These four were the self-appointed Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee, composed of Seifer, Fuujin, Raijin and their newest member, Vivi. When Ana was in high school with them still, she had heard that the original three members were rather strict with the law, acting like a mini-police force of sorts in town- at least for the students. As Ana no longer went to school after graduating, the committee really didn't have any power over her- not that she really did anything to cross their path anyway.  
  
"What's going on?" Ana said as she crossed her arms, only for Julia to turn on the tears and point at the dark-haired young woman.  
  
"There she is!" Julia then said, "There's the girl who tampered with the point counters!"  
  
"What the hell are you on about?" Ana said, only for the blonde boy, Seifer to speak up.  
  
"Julia has accused you of tampering with the counters during your match with her," the boy then said, crossing his arms in return as he glared at the older girl, "So, I'm going to be fighting you in the re-match as her proxy, just to see how it could possibly be done."  
  
"Champ or Julia's fine with me!" Ana said with a smirk as she picked up a green struggle bat with a handguard on it, Seifer himself pulling a standard blue one out of a case that was carried around by Raijin. The two combatants then walked onto the sandlot after picking up a pair of score counters and attaching them to their belts and heading to the east and west corner of the sandlot. Fujin then moved to the edge of the sandlot and spoke.  
  
"East Corner, Seifer. West Corner, Ana. One minute in the ring. Begin." was all she said without much emotion in her voice as she waved her hand to signal the start of the match. The two combatants charged at each other, their bats striking each other as they fought. blue orbs appeared from Seifer's counter after Ana struck him in the side with her bat before he jumped back as the orbs were drawn to Ana like iron sand to a magnet.  
  
"Isn't this romantic!" he shouted then before jumping up in the air, intending to strike Ana from above. Instead, she rolled out of the way before using her bat to block an attack from the side before she struck back with another strike to the shoulder, causing more orbs to pop out and go to Ana as she twirled and dodged another attack. Then, she held her bat straight out behind her and started spinning in place, getting a few more hits on Seifer as he was caught off guard from the attack.  
  
"Time!" Fujin then said, with the two bats caught in a parry after another strike from Seifer. The pair then parted their weapons and gave their counters to Fuujin for her to examine, before she spoke again, "Seifer, 38 points, Ana, 162 points."  
  
"Sh-She must have tampered with the counters again, and made it more than last time to throw us off the scent!" Julia then shouted in disgust, just as Terra arrived on the scene as Ana watched things from the sandlot as Seifer spoke next.  
  
"She didn't tamper with them," Seifer said as he stood between Ana and Julia, "In fact, with how heated the battle was, I don't see how she could tamper with them during the fight, or before the battle as well. In my opinion, Ana is skilled on her own merit, and doesn't really need to cheat, unlike some people I know."  
  
"THERE IS NO WAY ANYONE AS LAME AS THE CORPSE GIRL IS GOOD AT ANYTHING!" Julia then screamed, just as Ana moved past Seifer and charged at Julia, punching the girl in green in the face. As Julia clutched her nose, Ana looked at Julia with a cold expression on her face.  
  
"You really think that my dad trained me to be mediocre in a sport we love?" Ana asked the young woman with a bleeding nose, "My dad said I had a talent for Struggle when we practiced together, that I could be a champion if I kept practicing, but then we became 'friends' and you had me do your work so that I wasn't able to beat your precious Setzer in a fight when the time came. You actually had me throw a fight a couple of times, on the threat of me losing our friendship."  
  
"As if a bitch like you would ever understand!" Julia snapped in response, "You were weak, an idiot who I could wrap around my finger! That was the way things should be! Me in charge, and you being my loyal minion! I loved crushing you under my heel back when you thought we were actually friends!"  
  
"Yeah... here's the thing," Ana said calmly, "See... We were _never_ friends, Julia. Hell, I don't even think you know what a friend even is. Friends, are supposed to support each other when they need it, not start rumors about them like you did for me. Friends, don't use each other, they don't puppeteer them into getting into trouble on your behalf, just so you can throw them under a bus, and friends sure as hell don't abandon each other like you did to me. We're not friends, Julia. We're enemies."  
  
All was silent at Ana's words, but Julia soon got a hold of herself and leaped at Ana, ready to scratch the dark-haired woman's eyes out, only for Ana to dodge and knock her back with her struggle bat. Julia was about to strike again when Terra grabbed her arm and held her back.  
  
"Do not harm my friend," Terra said, only for Julia to laugh as she looked at him.  
  
"You are friends with _her!?"_ she said in disbelief, "No one could possibly be friends with a bitch like the Corpse Girl! She won't even play nice with me!"  
  
"You just don't know me very well," Ana said, not even denying that she and Terra were friends for the moment, "Now get lost, Julia, you're making yourself look like an ugly little witch right now."  
  
"Ugly!? UGLY!?" Julia screamed as she started to struggle against Terra's grip, an aura of darkness surrounding her as well, Then, struggle bats near the sandlot started to come to life on their own, flying around the center of the Sandlot as if they were caught in a tornado. Then, a figure appeared in the middle of the whirlwind, a feminine figure with three legs and glowing yellow eyes and three pigtails that ended in claws that gripped the struggle bats. The heartless figure then glanced at the gathered group before staring directly at Ana and charging, waving its bats around menacingly as it intended to strike the dark-haired woman down.  
  
Thankfully, Terra let Julia go and blocked the attack with his bronze keyblade while Ana summoned her own as she watched everyone else run away from the monster, except for Julia who seemed to be unconscious for the moment. Still, the two prepared for battle, only for their attacks to be blocked by the tri-tailed heartless's bats. Of course, before the Heartless could strike again, a ball of fire struck its side, giving Ana and Terra a chance to move away from the Heartless as it waved around, stunned. Ana looked and saw Axel had arrived and ran back as Terra struck at the Heartless himself with his keyblade, Ends of the Earth.  
  
"Well, well, looks like trouble's come to town!" Axel then said as he fired off another fireball at the heartless, stunning it again as Ana realized the thing was weak to magic.  
  
"Leaf!" she said then, firing her spell at the heartless, and also cutting off one of its tails with the razor-sharp leaves.  
  
"Nice move!" Axel said as Terra cut off another tail, before being struck in the side by the remaining one, followed by a kick to the stomach by two of its legs as well, which pushed him back a good amount.  
  
"Cure!" he said before he was washed in a green light as his wounds healed, followed by Ana unleashing a storm of petals on the heartless, destroying its third pigtail and leaving the heartless on its three legs as it ran around in panic. This did not deter the three keyblade wielders as Terra turned his keyblade into a whip before using it to grab the heartless by the ankle and knock it down, allowing Ana and Axel to combine their spells.  
  
"Fire!" Axel shouted, sending out a fireball.  
  
"Leaf!" Ana said again, sending out a trio of sharp leaves at the heartless, which collided with the fireball and spun and burned as it struck the heartless as well. The feminine heartless let out a cry as it disappeared, then, letting loose a large crystalline heart that went up into the air before disappearing from sight.  
  
"That's different," Ana said as she watched this happen before Axel decided to explain.  
  
"Yeah, that's what happens when powerful heartless get beaten by us- they let loose a big heart that flies away to parts unknown."  
  
"I see," Ana said, before looking at Julia, "So... what exactly happened to her?"  
  
"She summoned the Darkness," Terra said with a bit of sadness in his voice, "Anger and hatred can do that if it's strong enough, and as a result, it can also summon heartless."  
  
"She'll be ok, right?" Ana then asked as she looked at the unconscious woman on the ground, her dress and face stained with blood from the punch Ana had given her.  
  
"Probably not after the punch you gave her," Terra then said, causing Axel to raise an eyebrow.  
  
"Do I want to know what happened?" he said while Ana shrugged.  
  
"Basically, Julia tried to frame me for something, pissed me off and got her face punched in before I tore her a new one," Ana then said plainly while Axel nodded.  
  
"Yeah... she may try and look for revenge if she summoned a heartless," Axel then said, "If you want, while you two are on your journey, I could keep an eye on the Twilight Rose, make sure she doesn't do anything."  
  
"Thanks, I guess," Ana said with a roll of her eyes, "You don't have to do that though, I'm sure Uncle Martin could take care of things while we're gone."  
  
"Maybe so, but if she's anything like a certain someone I knew... then he may find his hands a bit full," Axel said, causing Ana to groan.  
  
"Fine, do whatever you want, but if it messes up the Twilight Rose, then be prepared for an ass-kicking when I come back," Ana said in annoyance.  
  
"Don't worry, your shop will be completely safe, I promise," Axel said teasingly to Ana. Before the brunette could say anything in response though, Gilgamesh piped up in her mind.  
  
 _Hey, does anyone else feel like they're being watched right now? Cause all day I've been getting the heebie-jeebies!_  
  
"You know what," Ana then said, "Let's just go back to the shop and plan things out for when Terra and I head out tomorrow," Ana then said, while Terra and Axel simply nodded as the brunette started walking away, but not before picking Julia up off the ground and moving her to a nearby bench as the woman was still unconscious.  
  
Once that was done, the trio started heading to the Twilight Rose, unaware that whatever Gilgamesh sensed was not only still watching them, but watching over the entirety of Twilight Town as well...


	9. The Weapon Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems things have been turned a little chaotic in Radiant Garden as of late.

"Alright, I got potions, ethers, a rope, camping gear and I think that's it," Ana said as she checked her new magical bag- a gift from the three good fairies she received when she got home the day before. They had apparently forgotten to give it to her back at Yen Sid's tower, and so had it delivered there through Axel after the trio of him, Ana and Terra arrived back at the Twilight Rose flower shop and had to explain to Martin why Ana was a bit late getting home.  
  
Turned out, fighting a monster that appeared at the sandlot was now a good reason for being late for dinner.  
  
"Do you really think we need all of this?" Terra then asked as he leaned against the door leading to Ana's room while he watched the young woman stuff their supplies into her new bag- the item in question being enchanted to be able to hold anything apparently.  
  
"Well, yeah," Ana said as she finished packing and put the blue and black bag over her shoulder and slipped on her cowboy hat, "There's no telling what may happen out there, and there may be a chance that we'll need to camp out while searching for Phoenix."  
  
"Right," Terra said, admitting that Ana had a good point, "But what's the rope for?"  
  
"In case we have to do some climbing?" Ana said as though it was obvious, "It's not like we can fly, ya know."  
  
"I flew once in a place called Neverland," Terra said, while Ana rolled her eyes.  
  
"Right, let's just get going, ok?" Ana said as she left her room and headed into the living room, where Martin was waiting for them.  
  
"Hi, Uncle Martin," Ana said sadly as she hugged him, "I don't know when I'll be back, but I'll do my best to keep safe out there."  
  
"Thanks," Martin said as he hugged his niece back, "Also... I did a little digging and I found something- your mom's old good luck charm."  
  
He moved to hand it to Ana, showing her a small enameled metal pin depicting a red and yellow rose. Though the enamel was half-worn away, Ana didn't mind it at all as Martin pinned the charm on her denim jacket's collar- it was something to give her luck on her journey once it started, not to mention it was something important to Ana as well.  
  
"Thanks," she said quietly, doing her best to hold back the tears in her eyes as she hugged her uncle tighter. "I promise, I'll try not to disappear."  
  
"Thank you, that's all I ask," Martin said softly, before looking at Terra. "As for you Terra, be sure to keep an eye on her, ok?"  
  
"Don't worry sir, I will," Terra said with a nod as he looked to Ana, "If you need a minute, we can head out a little later than planned."  
  
"I'm fine," Ana said after sniffing a bit, heading out the door of the apartment and out of the flower shop below. Terra followed after her, the brunette wondering just what exactly happened to Ana's mom, and why she made that promise to her uncle. But, try as he might to ask her, Ana said nothing. So, he left the subject alone as they reached the Twilight Town Woods and Ana opened up the portal to Radiant Garden.  
  
Their journey began at Dawn.

~0~

On the other side of the portal, Ana found herself looking at a large castle overhead, and as she looked around, she noticed that Terra seemed a little uncomfortable for some reason. Though, she didn't want to ask him why, in case it was personal to him, just like the status of her mother was personal to Ana.  
  
"So, this is Radiant Garden?" Ana said, looking up at the blue sky overhead, seeing that it was just so different from the golden sky she was used to in Twilight Town. Still, she had to admit that she also saw a blue sky in the Land of Departure, so it probably wasn't that weird after all on other worlds.  
  
"Yeah," Terra said with a nod, "I know it looks like it's seen better days, but the last time I was in this world, it was beautiful, with all sorts of flowers. You probably would have liked it a lot."  
  
"How long ago has it been since you've been here?" Ana asked, recalling that despite his young looks, Terra was in fact almost as old as her uncle and in his early thirties at least.  
  
"Twelve or thirteen years," Terra said with a shrug, "I'd rather not talk about it."  
  
"Fair enough," Ana said as she decided to let sleeping dogs lie for now and started to walk ahead towards the castle, only to run into someone and fall to the ground. "Hey! Watch where you're going, jackass!"  
  
"Maybe you should practice what you preach," the person she ran into said, a boy about her age with silver hair, bright blue eyes and wearing black clothes with white accents on the sleeves and pants. As Ana glared at the boy that was about her age, she was about to say something else when Terra spoke up.  
  
"Riku, it's been a while," he said, most likely to stop a fight from breaking out. As for Riku, he looked at Terra and gave a sigh before running his fingers through his short hair.  
  
"Yeah, don't tell me she's the new keyblade wielder Aqua talked about..." Riku then said as Ana got up off the ground.  
  
"You got a problem with a girl being a keyblader or whatever?" Ana asked in annoyance, only for Riku to frown at her.  
  
"No, in fact, one of my best friends is a keyblade wielder and a girl, and she can handle herself pretty well!" Riku said, while Ana crossed her arms and let out a groan.  
  
"Well, what were you even doing here?" Ana then asked, looking Riku square in the eye.  
  
"I'm in the middle of an investigation requested by Ansem the Wise," Riku then said, not even looking away from Ana's dark green eyes. "He wanted me to look into a situation with a thief that's been going around Radiant Garden."  
  
"Who the hell is Ansem?" Ana asked, "The guy in charge of this place?"  
  
"Good guess," Riku said with a smirk, "Ansem the Wise is the ruler of Radiant Garden, and a man studying the heart and how it works with his apprentices."  
  
"You know them, Terra?" Ana then asked her companion, who flinched a bit and nodded.  
  
"A little bit, but, I'd rather not see them today if I can avoid it... it'd be a little awkward," Terra said as he rubbed the back of his neck, "So Riku, what do you know about the thief? Maybe we can help you track them down while we're here."  
  
"Thanks, I'd appreciate it," Riku said with a smile, before asking, "Just... why are you two here?"  
  
"Well, we're looking for something called an Eidolon by the name of Enkidu," Terra said before Ana could stop him, "It's a long story."  
  
"It has anything to do with that Gilgamesh guy that Ven mentioned on Kingstagram?" Riku then asked, before pulling out his phone and showing a picture of Ven and the four-armed giant posing in front of the camera. While Ana nodded and let out a small groan, Terra couldn't help but chuckle a bit at how Gilgamesh was posed- standing with his legs spread, his lower arms with hands on his hips and his upper arms flexed to show his muscles. Though another picture Riku showed Terra and Ana did show Gil decorating a strawberry shortcake with such a focused look on his face, it was clear he didn't notice or care that Ven had a camera out at that moment.  
  
 _Hey, don't laugh! Cakes are serious business!_ Gilgamesh said in Ana's mind before she spoke up.  
  
"Anyway, about that thief?" Ana then said as she watched Riku put his phone away for the moment before he answered her.  
  
"Well, according to the reports, those who had their weapons stolen by the thief all reported seeing a green blur before and after the theft, though Aeleus had managed to see the culprit after he fought to hold onto his tomahawk. According to him, the culprit was a small green beast with purple wings and an orange mohawk. However, the culprit bit his arm, forcing him to let go of his tomahawk before the thief escaped with the weapon in his mouth.  
  
 _Yeah, that sounds like Enkidu alright._ Gilgamesh then said, causing Ana to have an idea.  
  
"Hold on, I think we're looking for the same thing if what Gil just told me is right," Ana said, summoning her keyblade to her hand and pointing it at the ground before turning it to the right. "Gilgamesh!"  
  
Before Riku could ask what she meant, there was a flash of light and the four-armed giant stood next to Ana, his arms crossed before they moved away from his chest as he gave a bow to Riku.  
  
"Greetings, I am Gilgamesh, it is a pleasure to meet you, Sir Riku!" Gil said with a grin as he stood up straight, while Riku looked at Gilgamesh in surprise.  
  
"Wow... he's taller than I expected," Riku said, noticing that the giant was actually a head taller than Terra. "Also, just call me Riku, ok?"  
  
"Sure thing, Riku," Gilgamesh said with a nod, "Now then, if my hunch is correct, then Enkidu is definitely the thief you're looking for... though, I don't know how he got unsealed, I had to wait until Ana found me before I could escape my prison."  
  
"Wait, Enkidu was sealed away?" Riku said in surprise, "For what?"  
  
"I can't remember," Gilgamesh said, "Being sealed away under the Land of Departure's basement kind of messed with my memory a bit, but I still remember Enkidu! I could never forget about my little buddy and the mischief we've gotten into before we reformed as bandits."  
  
"You sure your mischief wasn't what got you sealed?" Riku asked dryly, causing Gilgamesh to flinch.  
  
"What!? No!" Gilgamesh said, "We stopped stealing weapons before we were sealed away- I don't remember why exactly, but I remember that we did!"  
  
"Right..." Riku said as he crossed his arms to think, "In that case, maybe Enkidu forgot about reforming due to his time sealed- exactly how long were you sealed away, anyway?"  
  
"Hell if I know, I slept through most of it," Gilgamesh said plainly, causing Riku to groan. However, before the silver-haired boy could ask another question, his phone started to ring, causing him to pull it back out of his pocket and answer it.  
  
"Riku here, what's up?" the boy then asked, only for a voice to answer in an annoyed tone.  
  
 _"What's up, as you put it so eloquently, is that Stitch and I are under attack by Heartless here in the ruins that were uncovered two days ago!"_  
  
"Wait, did he say Stitch?" Terra said under his breath as Riku suddenly gained a serious look on his face.  
  
"I see," Riku then said, "We're on our way, Even, try and stay safe until we get to the ruins- can you send me the coordinates over the Gummi Phone?"  
  
 _"Already sent, and you and whoever else is with you better get here quickly! I don't know how long I can last out here with just Stitch on my side!"_ Even said, before the call ended.  
  
"So, where is this ruin?" Ana said as she looked at Riku, who frowned a bit.  
  
"Outside of town in the crystal canyon according to the map that Even sent me," Riku said, "We may need to use Keyblade Gliders to get there quickly."  
  
"Keyblade whatnow?" Ana asked while Terra looked like he'd just remembered something he'd forgotten.  
  
"You didn't tell her?" Riku said, only for Terra to shake his head, "Right, well, basically the keyblade can transform into other weapons and even vehicles. Since you don't know how to do that yet, you and Gil will need to ride with Terra and me."  
  
"You know how to make a Keyblade Glider now?" Terra then asked as he got out his own keyblade and threw it up into the air before it landed and turned into what looked like to Ana, some sort of hovercycle's skeleton while Riku's keyblade turned into a sleeker version of Terra's with a sidecar attached.  
  
"So, who rides with who?" Ana asked as both men boarded their gliders, while Gil spoke up first.  
  
"Well, I could ride with Riku while you ride with Terra, Ana," Gilgamesh said, before adding, "Though, if I knew the coordinates, I could simply teleport us there."  
  
"You can do that?" Ana said while Gilgamesh gave a nod.  
  
"Yeah, however, Void-warping is finicky at times, and it's been ages since I've done it so... I'm afraid I can't guarantee our safety."  
  
Ana said nothing and sat down behind Terra on his keyblade glider, leaving Gilgamesh to stand on the sidecar on Riku's. With that, the group was off, flying through the air with Riku leading the way as Ana held tightly onto Terra's body with her eyes closed.  
  
"Afraid?" Terra asked as Ana clung to him.  
  
"Not good with heights," Ana said as the wind wooshed by them, and remained silent for the rest of the ride.  
  
Soon enough, the four arrived at the ruin's entrance, the site appearing as though it was recently uncovered by an avalanche judging by the rocks scattered at the bottom of the ravine. There were also large purple crystals growing out of the rock. It would have been beautiful as the group landed, had it not been for the heartless swarm and the thick wall of ice in front of the entrance below them.  
  
"I'll handle this," Terra then said as his keyblade returned to its normal form for a moment, before he hefted it on his shoulder, allowing Ana to watch as it morphed into a cannon that he aimed below and fired a giant beam of light. In a moment, the heartless and ice wall was gone, while Ana looked at Terra in disbelief.  
  
"What was that!?" she said, while Riku chuckled a bit.  
  
"Ultima Cannon," Terra said as his keyblade once more reverted to normal, "I'll teach you how to make your keyblade change form later, for now, we got to go rescue Even."  
  
"Yeah," Ana and Riku said, while Gil merely stared at the group as they left, a look of fear on his face.  
  
"Did he say Ultima?" he mumbled before Ana's voice brought him back to reality.  
  
"Gil, come on!" she said, causing Gil to nod and run down the path leading to the ruin entrance, not wanting to be left behind for now. As the group reached the entrance to the ruins, the group paused as they stared at the doorway. It looked like the stone doors were blasted apart by something, and judging by the rubble scattered about them, the blast was done from the inside of the ruin, rather than the outside- as though something had wanted to get out and do so very badly to the point they put in everything they had just to break down the doors. Still, no one said a thing and the group entered the ruin to see that it was another corridor- just like Gilgamesh's prison was a hallway leading to a chamber.  
  
However, as they made a few steps into the chamber, they saw a man with long blond hair, a white lab coat over a dark suit, and a purple cravat make their way towards the group, a lantern in one hand as the other rested on the wall of the ruin. As he caught his breath, he looked almost relieved to see Riku and the others, before his eyes rested on Gilgamesh, and he summoned an icy shield to his hands and fired off a spell.  
  
"Blizzard!" he called out, only for Ana to run in to block the spell with her keyblade, causing the man to stare at her in disbelief. "What are you doing, protecting a heartless!?"  
  
"He's not a heartless, he's an Eidolon!" Ana snapped, looking into the man's bright green eyes with her own dark green ones. The man, who's voice was the same one as the person who called Riku earlier, merely looked at Ana like she was insane as he spoke again.  
  
"What in blue blazes is an Eidolon!? That... that thing is clearly a heartless of some kind!"  
  
"Hey! I am not a thing!" Gilgamesh said in indignation, causing the man's eyes to widen.  
  
"Oh good God, it talks," he said, causing Gilgamesh's white eyes to narrow in annoyance.  
  
"I am not an 'it,' buddy," Gilgamesh then said as he crossed his arms, "Now then, we're here for a weapon thief, have you seen him?"  
  
The man, Even, merely groaned as he couldn't believe his current situation right now, "If you mean that green creature with Aeleus' Tomahawk, it is deeper in the ruin fighting Stitch, I ran away as fast as I could to try and keep the ice wall intact when I heard it blown to bits, and was worried that the heartless had broken through. Thankfully, it seems to be you... four... that made it rather than the Heartless."  
  
Before anyone could say anything, the sound of laser fire was heard, followed by Gilgamesh running down the corridor followed by Ana, Terra, Riku, and a tired Even. When the group made it, however, they were met with the sight of two small figures staring each other down, one a blue, four-armed koala thing with laser guns in each hand, spines on its back and antennae on its head, while the other was a green, dog-like creature with horns, sharp teeth in his mouth, an orange mohawk, small purple wings on its back, four stubby legs, and a large tomahawk in his mouth. Around the second creature's neck, however, was a collar with a red and white beetle as a dog tag- while Ana noticed Gilgamesh mess with a buckle on his belt that looked like a green gargoyle as they watched the two creatures glare daggers at each other- scorch marks on the floor next to the green creature from a laser blast.  
  
The two creatures circled each other slowly, ready to strike at just the right moment before the two charged and battled, the blue creature firing at the green one, while the green one slashed away with his stolen tomahawk. At one point during the fight, they had lost their weapons and started slapping at each other's faces, the pair seemingly evenly matched until the green creature stopped and sniffed the air, turning his head to see Gilgamesh standing in the hallway.  
  
Kicking away his opponent, the green creature ran towards Gilgamesh, tears in its glowing white eyes as it cried out "Gigylmesh!" before jumping into the giant's arms.  
  
"Enkidu!" Gilgamesh said to the creature, before hugging his little buddy after ages apart. The blue creature, however, merely stared at the scene with his mouth open in disbelief- an expression shared with Even. However, when Terra managed to step into view, the blue creature ran up to the brunette and spoke.  
  
"Terra?" the creature said in a curious voice, and after earning a nod from the tall man, he immediately hugged him, "Terra!"  
  
"Good to see you too, Stitch," Terra said, before Even spoke up.  
  
"Yes, yes, reunions are nice and all, but could someone PLEASE tell me what in blue blazes is going on here!?"  
  
"Well, from what I can tell," Riku said, "Gilgamesh- the big guy, was separated from Enkidu for a long time, both sealed away in ruins. I think Enkidu might have been stealing weapons in hopes that it might get Gilgamesh's attention."  
  
"Uh-huh!" Enkidu said with a nod as Gilgamesh set his little buddy down on the ground, the green eidolon then tilting his head and asking, "Friends?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess you could call us that," Ana said, "I'm Ana, Gilgamesh's summoner, while the rest of us are Terra, Riku and Even."  
  
"Ah-na, Tear-ra, Ree-koo, and Eh-ven." Enkidu then repeated a bit childishly, doing his best to get the names right while looking at each person in question. When he looked at Stitch again however, he growled and said, "Rival!"  
  
"My. Name. Stitch!" the blue creature then said in response, and it seemed like another fight was about to break out, when a voice echoed from further into the corridor.  
  
 _"Ha-cha-cha!"_ the voice said, sounding rather slimy to Ana as it continued, _"If I'm right, and I'm sure I am, then this might be the place where the ultimate sword is located, I could become King and not even Mickey will be able to stop me!"_  
  
"Ultimate sword?" everyone asked, before looking down at Enkidu.  
  
"Gigylmesh's best sword, here!" Enkidu said proudly, before running down the corridor, "Must protecc!"  
  
"Wait, Enkidu!" Gilgamesh said, running after the green fiend, "Wait for me!"  
  
The rest of the group had no choice but to follow after the pair of Eidolons. When they reached the second set of stone doors in the ruin, they were greeted with the sight of Gilgamesh pulling a lever to open them, followed by the entire group running in to see what Enkidu had been collecting weapons for- in the middle of the room looked like a pentagram made up of swords and other weapons, while off to the left was an effigy of Gilgamesh made up of ancient armor and weapons that had rusted over time. However, the thing that did not belong in the room was a tall mouse a little shorter than Terra rummaging through the various weapons, throwing away some that didn't fit what he was looking for, and not caring who or what was behind him.  
  
Then, the thief in an orange, long-sleeved turtleneck, a green vest, and baggy brown pants and a bandanna on his head grinned as he pulled out a fancy looking blade decorated with gold and jewels. The slimy smile he had on his lips proved that this was what he was looking for.  
  
"Ha-cha-cha, now this must be Excalibur!" he said as he gave it a few test swings, "With this, there's no doubt I can not only take Mickey's kingdom but also Queen Minnie as well!"  
  
"Do you even know how to use that sword?" Gilgamesh then said, with his arms crossed, only for Mortimer to fail to turn around and see that he was caught in the act.  
  
"It's a sword! I swing it and people get hurt, what's there to know?" Mortimer then said, before he paused for a moment, "Waitaminute..."  
  
He then turned and saw Gilgamesh and the rest of the group, and realizing that he was trapped, quickly frowned as he moved to strike Gilgamesh with his sword- only for nothing to happen, not even a scratch.  
  
"What the!? This sword's supposed to cut through anything!" the mouse said in disbelief, before spotting a seemingly defenseless Ana and charged at her, sword raised and a murderous look in his eye. Gilgamesh however, grabbed the back of the mouse's turtleneck and slammed him against the nearest wall, making the mouse drop his ill-gotten weapon.  
  
"Do. Not. Harm. My. Summoner." Gilgamesh said darkly as he punched the thieving mouse in the stomach to punctuate his point. It did not take long for the thief to get knocked out, before Gilgamesh took a chain on the wall and used it to tie up the unconscious mouse, before looking at the slightly terrified group.  
  
"Ahem. Sorry about that, Eidolon Loyalty kicked in for a moment," he then said, causing Even to speak up.  
  
"Eidolon Loyalty?" he asked, while Gilgamesh rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment.  
  
"Yeah, when an Eidolon makes a pact with a summoner, they become one hundred percent loyal to that summoner until that summoner's death. As a result, if our summoner is threatened, then we Eidolons have no choice but to protect them- by any means necessary if it comes to that."  
  
The room fell silent at this explanation but Even did ask one more question.  
  
"Our summoner? Does that mean that there are more Eidolons out there?" he asked, earning a silent nod from Gilgamesh as the four-armed giant went to examine the pentagram in the room.  
  
"Hey, Little Buddy?" Gilgamesh then said to Enkidu as he dragged the dropped sword on the ground, "Were you trying to summon me to you?"  
  
"Yes!" Enkidu said with a smile, only for Gilgamesh to pat the little Eidolon's head.  
  
"Thanks, Little Buddy, but you know Eidolons can't summon each other," Gilgamesh said, earning a sad whine from Enkidu, "But... I'm glad you tried, and it looks like you broke yourself out, if you stealing weapons means anything..."  
  
"Missed you!" Enkidu said, before flapping his wings to fly up to Gilgamesh's face and lick him, before dropping down to present the beautifully crafted sword, "Devil Man left this!"  
  
"Devil Man?" the humans and Stitch then said in confusion, causing Gilgamesh to clench his fists at a memory before he smiled and picked up the sword and examined it.  
  
"Well, he should have ditched it somewhere else," Gilgamesh said, ignoring the question for now, "After all, only I know the secret of Excalipur!"  
  
"Don't you mean Excalibur?" Riku then asked, "That is what that mouse called it, right?"  
  
"Nope! This is a very good fake of Excalibur," Gilgamesh said with pride, "I found it before I got sealed, and while using it as a normal sword makes it useless, the secret of Excalipur is something I'll be keeping to myself for now."  
  
"And wh---" Even was about to say, only to be cut off by Ana.  
  
"Okay, can we go return the stolen weapons now?" she said, causing the two former bandits to flinch.  
  
"Do we have to?" Gilgamesh then said, "I mean, Enkidu managed to get some good stuff in just a couple of days..."  
  
"Yes, we have to!" Ana said adamantly, causing the two former eidolons to sigh in defeat.  
  
"Very well," Gilgamesh said, before strapping Excalipur to his back for the moment and started gathering up the stolen weapons- or at least, the ones that looked brand new compared to the rest of what was in the chamber.  
  
And so, the loot was lost due to doing the right thing and returning the weapons to their rightful owners.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, with Riku here, I can safely say this fic takes place a year after KH3 (Because let's face it, we all know that Sora will most likely come back to his friends at some point. If not then consider this fic an AU).
> 
> Also, I had fun writing Enkidu's dialogue, I was honestly going for a childish persona for the little guy, but still tough enough to face off with something like Stitch. 
> 
> Speaking of Stitch, in this fic's universe, he's now a Palace Guard in Radiant Garden and Ansem and the others are basically acting as Lilo to the guy- Even however, got the short straw at the time the chapter takes place to see who would spend time with Stitch.
> 
> Finally, there was supposed to be a moment with Merlin saying that Ana should see him later, but I couldn't really fit it into the flow of the chapter, so it had to be cut. As for the other thief- yeah, that's Mortimer Mouse. I figured why not use him as an antagonist for Ana and company? Though, he will probably want payback for what Gil did to him at some point.
> 
> I mean, it's not like a certain someone is going to recruit him... right?
> 
> Anyway- in the next chapter, Ana takes a break to explore Radiant Garden. Who will she meet and what will she find? Find out next time!


	10. Radiant Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the stolen weapons are returned, Ana looks around Radiant Garden.

The stolen weapons were returned to their owners, though, as everyone in Radiant Garden who had been a victim gathered around the little green thief and the four-armed giant holding him, Enkidu sighed as he looked down at the ground in guilt.  
  
"Enkidu sorry," he then said, "Enkidu wanted friend back real bad."  
  
"You shouldn't have done it in the first place!" said a blonde man who Ana learned was named Cid, and as Ana watched the exchange, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for Enkidu as he was chewed out by the man, "Do you have any idea what your stunt could have done if the heartless attacked while the defense system was down? We'd be Heartless chow if you didn't return what you stole!"  
  
Enkidu ended up sniffling a bit, while his friend Gilgamesh merely held the little green gargoyle-dog in comfort. Seeing the thief cry, however, caused a brown-haired woman to sigh and pet Enkidu's head.  
  
"As long as the weapons got returned," said the brunette in pink, "I don't see why you need to be so harsh on him, he seems a lot like a little child as well."  
  
"Not to mention, not everyone got robbed," said a man in a black jacket with a scar on his face, before he hefted a strange looking weapon on his shoulders that looked like a cross between a sword and a gun. "He probably went after what he recognized as a weapon since he left me and Stitch alone."  
  
"So what!?" Cid then said in frustration, "I ain't forgiving the little booger unless he proves himself a pillar of the community, which is gonna be hard since he stole from us!"  
  
"Cid," a girl with short black hair then said before pointing to Enkidu, "C'mon... the little guy's on the verge of tears..."  
  
"I don't care, Yuffie!" Cid said as he picked up his stolen spear and turned around, "You can give the thing a slap on the wrist if you want, but I'm gonna go get me some goddamned tea and try to relax!"  
  
No one said a word after that, and the two girls among the victims picked up their weapons- the brunette picking up a bo-staff, while the black-haired girl, Yuffie, picked up a giant shuriken.  
  
"Come on Aerith, let's go back to getting your new shop ready," Yuffie said, while the girl in pink, Aerith, nodded and walked away with the man in the black jacket following after them. All that was left was a man with black dreads tied into a ponytail and a man with wavy brownish-blond hair- both men wearing uniforms fit for a soldier as they silently picked up their weapons- a pair of spears and a tomahawk respectively, before the man with brownish blond hair stopped and looked at Enkidu, before raising his bandaged hand to pet the creature.  
  
"You have a lot of fight in you, little thief," he said, before walking away with his comrade back to the castle.  
  
With just Ana, Gilgamesh and Enkidu alone in the town square, the trio of Eidolons and summoner then looked at each other as Ana crossed her arm and walked over to them.  
  
"So, what now?" she said as she looked at Enkidu and Gilgamesh.  
  
"Well, now we try and get a pact made between you and Enkidu," Gilgamesh then said as he cradled his buddy in his arm, the weeping green eidolon sniffling still after being chastised by Cid.  
  
"Enkidu sorry," was all the little Eidolon could say before Ana patted his head, causing the small Eidolon to look up in confusion.  
  
"I know you are," Ana said, "Otherwise, you wouldn't have returned the weapons when I mentioned it, right?"  
  
"Yeah..," Enkidu then said, "But Ana brought back Gigylmesh! Ana good friend!"  
  
"I-I wouldn't say that!" Ana said, blushing from the comment, "Anyway, what do I need to do so I can make a pact with you? I made a pact with Gil when I freed him, so what do you want?"  
  
"Enkidu goes where Gigylmesh goes!" Enkidu then said, and Ana started to feel that strange warmth in her chest from when Gil made his oath to her in Yen Sid's tower.  
  
"Alright then," Ana said as she held out her hand, "Since I don't want to separate you two again, I guess we'll be comrades from now on in the quest for Phoenix!"  
  
"Right!" Enkidu said, putting his paw in Ana's hand, only to pause and tilt his head, "Why Ana search for Big Birdie?"  
  
"Because I have someone very close to me I want Phoenix to heal with its power," Ana said gently, causing Enkidu to nod and ask another question.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"My dad," Ana said quietly, causing Enkidu to fall silent for a moment.  
  
"Enkidu help Ana smile." Enkidu said with a nod, "Protecc smile!"  
  
"Thanks, Enkidu, I look forward to working with ya," Ana said with a small smile before both Enkidu and Gilgamesh disappeared from sight.  
  
 _"Yeah... after today's events, Enkidu and I are whooped!"_ she heard Gilgamesh say in her mind, _"So we're just going to chill in your heart and recover- you probably need it too, Ana. Also... it seems that I'm the only one who can talk to you for now, probably because I was your first Eidolon or something, who knows?"_  
  
"Got it, Gil," Ana said quietly before she started walking around town, might as well explore a bit while she had the chance.  
  
Unfortunately, she didn't get very far in her explorations before she heard some music playing behind her, followed by a male voice behind her speaking up.  
  
"Hey, spare a little munny for a musician?" he said, causing Ana to turn around and see a mulleted man in a large black coat playing sitar on the street corner.  
  
"Where did you come from?" she said as she listened to the music, pretty sure you weren't there before.  
  
"Eh, I come and go," said the stranger as he continued to play before Ana put in 1200 munny in his sitar case on the ground. "Seems like you're pretty weird though, and I've certainly never seen heartless like those guys that just vanished."  
  
"They aren't Heartless," Ana said, "They're Eidolons- as far as I can tell, something that only summoners like me can ally with or something."  
  
The music stopped then, "Did you say a summoner? Hooo boy..."  
  
"You know about them?" Ana said in surprise.  
  
"Sort of, battled a guy once who could summon allies to his aid, but they were things like... a chicken or a genie, nothing like what you got, lady," the stranger then said with a shrug before muttering, "Hate to be on the receiving end of those again..."  
  
 _Gil, any idea if either of those sound familiar to you?_ Ana thought to her main Eidolon, only for Gilgamesh's reply to come up negative.  
  
 _"Nope, never heard of any like that, try and get the guy's name, ok?"  
  
Got it,_ Ana thought, before looking back at the musician, only to see that he disappeared from view. "Huh!? Where did he go!?"  
  
"Where did who go?" a voice behind Ana then said, causing her to jump and turn, this time seeing an old man in a blue robe and pointy hat with a very long white beard standing there.  
  
"Uh... there was a guy with a sitar here a moment ago," Ana said politely as she rubbed her neck, causing the old man to sigh.  
  
"Oh, him, he must have decided to pay a visit once the chaos was over," the old man then said, before introducing himself, "In any case, I am Merlin, and you must be Ana, correct?"  
  
"Yeah, how did you know, sir?" Ana then asked, only for the man to smile and dig into his pocket for something.  
  
"Oh, I have my ways, now then, I believe this belongs to you!" he said, before handing Ana a small charm that looked like a blue, dog-faced deer with orange flames on the sides.  
  
"What is it?" Ana asked while Gilgamesh spoke up in her heart.  
  
 _"That's Kirin! He can regenerate one's energy while people are in his presence, and also makes for a great steed in terms of transportation, though he's very picky about his summoner, so you must be very lucky to get him."_  
  
"Kirin, huh?" Ana said, causing Merlin to look surprised.  
  
"Oh, so you know his name?" he asked, only for Ana to get a little nervous.  
  
"Uh... sort of, I have a friend of his in my heart, I'm a summoner according to that friend, and he just told me Kirin's name," Ana said, surprising Merlin even more.  
  
"A summoner, are you?" he said, "Well, well, then I was right to give Kirin to you, though if Sora was here, he'd have gotten him instead."  
  
"How did you find Kirin, anyway?" Ana then asked looking at Merlin in confusion.  
  
"Oh, I found him as I was leaving Traverse Town," the old man said, "It was the strangest thing too- a step in my temporary abode there came loose all of a sudden and there he was, sealed inside a tarnished silver jewelry box. Apparently, someone wanted to hide him there for safekeeping."  
  
"I see," Ana said looking at the charm in her hands, before deciding to try something. "Kirin."  
  
In a flash of light, the charm disappeared in her hand, and standing next to her was a much less chibified version of the beast, causing Ana to notice that the Kirin was covered in blue scales with white fur here and there, while bright orange flames flickered along his sides from his cloven hooves.  
  
"This one thanks you, for breaking this one's seal," Kirin then said before bowing his head, "Will you take this one as one of your Eidolons?"  
  
"Yeah," Ana said, before moving to pet the dog-faced dragon deer, only for the beast to press his head against her hand before disappearing in a flash of light, a warm feeling in Ana's heart once again.  
  
"What a magnificent creature that was," Merlin said before looking to Ana, "Anyway, I must be off, though if you do see Terra, tell him I have a book still that he might be interested in seeing!"  
  
"Sure thing," Ana said with a smile before she walked on her merry way, feeling a little refreshed after her gaining Kirin as an Eidolon. Though, as she walked along the street to a fountain, she soon sat down on the edge to think for a bit. She never really expected to be going on an adventure to wake her dad up, but she had to admit, what Gilgamesh said about long journeys being better than short ones seemed like it could be true. Sure, she wanted to find Phoenix as soon as possible, but a part of her also felt like she should free as many eidolons as possible. She wasn't sure how many there were, but she kind of wanted to find out in all honesty.  
  
But, she also had to remember her father's condition and thought about the day things went south for her.  
  
It had been a normal day at the flower shop, she was helping her father arrange a vase of flowers for delivery the next day. They had been chatting about different flowers and their meanings, how Ana's day had been at school, and her friendship with Julia. Her father had always expressed worry for Ana when it came to Julia, and at the time, she didn't really understand why that was. She always did try her best to impress her friends, or at least people she thought were her friends, only to be put down in return.  
  
It was while she and her father were talking about Ana's mother, however, that her father suddenly froze, before he fell over onto the floor of the shop. In a panic, she immediately used the shop's phone to call an ambulance, staying by her dad the whole time as she tried to wake him up.  
  
No matter what she did, nothing seemed to work, and he hadn't woken up since that day.  
  
"Are you alright?" said a voice then, causing Ana to come out of her thoughts, turning her head, she saw Riku and frowned.  
  
"I'm fine, just thinking about something, that's all," she said, doing her best to wipe away the tears rolling down her cheeks. Though, Riku did not leave the subject alone.  
  
"What were you thinking about?" he asked, only for Ana to turn away and cross her arms.  
  
"None of your business, ok?" she said, not wanting to let the silver-haired young man see her tears any more than he'd already seen.  
  
"Alright then," Riku said, before he smirked a bit, "Then how about a sparring match?"  
  
"What?" Ana said in disbelief, "Why do you want to spar with me?"  
  
"Well, I never got a chance to see you fight earlier, so I figured why not a sparring match to see what you got as a keyblade wielder?" Riku said with a small smile.  
  
"I'm magic oriented and I'm out of juice, so why don't you buzz off?" Ana said in annoyance.  
  
"We can spar without magic," Riku said, "Why not treat it like a struggle match that Terra told me about?"  
  
"If it means you leaving me alone, then fine," Ana said, "I'll spar with you."  
  
"Good to know!" Riku said as he walked away while Ana stood up- both summoning their keyblades.  
  
Ana barely had a chance to get ready as the spar commenced with Riku charging at her, only for her to parry the attack as their keyblades locked into each other. Then, she spun and sent Riku flying back before she ran in and got him in the side with her keyblade. However, Riku was fast and managed to roll away from her attack before jumping in the air to try and strike her from above. When he missed, Ana was about to strike him again, only for the young man to dodge and then throw his keyblade at her.  
  
She ended up being thrown into the fountain as a result of this.  
  
"Looks like the spar's over," Riku then said as Ana got out of the fountain, her hair deflated as it clung to her face and wet clothes.  
  
"Thanks," she said flatly before she was hit with a wind spell from Riku, the wind drying her off and making her messy hair even worse than before. Though, at least she was dried off instead of dripping wet. Still, she took a pair of potions out of her bag and offered one in silence to Riku, who took it and spoke as he applied it to his side.  
  
"So, you seem to have pretty good talent, you've fought before, I take it?" Riku asked as he popped the bones in his neck for a moment.  
  
"In struggle matches back in Twilight Town," Ana said, "It's how my dad taught me to fight- he actually used to be a champion for a few years before he retired to marry mom."  
  
"I see," Riku said, "Do you miss your parents?"  
  
"Yeah," Ana said, "What about your folks?"  
  
"I miss them too but I try to visit when I can. To be honest, being a Keyblade Master is hard work, though I don't have any apprentices to train yet."  
  
"You're a master like Frills?" Ana said in surprise, "No wonder you're so tough!"  
  
"Frills?" Riku said in surprise, "Wait, do you mean Master Aqua?"  
  
"Know anyone else who wears a frilly outfit like she does?" Ana said, "During the few days I spent with her and the others in the Land of Departure I was smacked a couple of times in the face by that half-skirt thing she wears."  
  
"I see," Riku said, "Do... do you have a nickname for all the keyblade wielders you've met so far?"  
  
"Aqua's frills, Axel's Firebrand, Ventus is Ven at his request, Terra's Lunkhead, Xion is Little Miss Seashell due to her collection she mentioned to me once after she moved to Twilight Town and Roxas is Bubbles." Ana listed off on her fingers, earning a raised eyebrow from Riku.  
  
"Bubbles?" he asked only for Ana to smirk a bit.  
  
"There was an incident at Le Grand Bistrot where he works where the dishwasher exploded and he got covered in suds," Ana said with a shrug, only for Riku to chuckle a bit.  
  
"I see, so what nickname did you think of for me?" Riku then asked, only for Ana to shrug.  
  
"Haven't thought of one yet, but I'm sure something will come up in time," she said, while Riku laughed to himself.  
  
"Well, if you ever want to get stronger, I know a world a friend of mine is training in called Olympus, it's a place where Heroes train." Riku said, "His name is Sora, and I think you might like him."  
  
"We'll see when we meet," Ana said before pulling out her Gummi Phone, "Anyway, since I have your number in the phone Firebrand gave me, might as well give you mine for future reference."  
  
"Thanks," Riku said, "Communication's pretty important after all."  
  
"Eyup," Ana said before she sent Riku a quick text.  
  
"So, why are you traveling the worlds?" Riku then said, "I talked with Terra while you oversaw Enkidu's apology, and he mentioned you looking for something called Phoenix, but I'm curious as to why."  
  
"It's for my dad, ok?" Ana said in annoyance, getting the feeling that Riku wouldn't leave her alone if she didn't tell him, "He's in a coma, and Gil said that waking people up from stuff like that is Phoenix's expertise."  
  
"You know, Sora or I could have woken him up for you if you just asked?" Riku then said, only for Ana to rub her neck.  
  
"I'd prefer to do this myself," Ana said, "I really don't want dad to think I started dating while he was in a coma... I have a history of being used by others and he's protective of me about that."  
  
"Used by others?" Riku then said, "I think I can relate to that- who used you?"  
  
"Someone I thought was a friend named Julia, she used me and our other friend Odell to do her dirty work for her. Odell stuck with her when Julia ditched me when I stopped paying attention to her due to my dad, and well... I haven't really seen Odell since then, Julia though? I've seen plenty of times, and even finally tore her a new one before I came to Radiant Garden."  
  
"I see," Riku said, "I... don't think I've been used quite like that."  
  
"How were you used?" Ana asked, only for Riku to shake his head.  
  
"I was manipulated by Maleficent into falling to Darkness, and got possessed by a Heartless," Riku said with a shrug, causing Ana to look at him in annoyance.  
  
"Maleficent huh? The three fairies at Yen Sid's place thought Gil was a servant of hers," Ana then said, causing Riku to cough a bit.  
  
"Yeah, I can probably see why," Riku then said, "I mean, Even also confused him for a Heartless... do all Eidolons look so weird?"  
  
"Dunno," Ana said with a shrug, "Though, when they asked me to find them, they all looked staticky, but I think I saw some humanoid ones among them."  
  
"They asked you to find them?" Riku said in surprise before Ana told him of the event in question.  
  
"Yup, somehow, they all contacted me, caused me a headache and next thing I know, I'm in the Land of Departure," Ana said, "Dunno why, or really care though."  
  
"Maybe you should care," Riku said, "There's no telling which ones may want to use you so... be careful out there."  
  
With that said, Riku then stood up off the edge of the fountain they were sitting on and started to walk away, "Anyway, I gotta make my report to Ansem, so... maybe I'll see you later."  
  
"Later," Ana said with a wave and was about to get up and leave when a new voice cleared their throat next to her, causing Ana to look and see Even and Terra next to her. "Oh great, how much did you two hear?"  
  
"We arrived right when you started talking about your father," Even said, causing Ana to groan while Terra gave her a sympathetic look as the man in the labcoat continued, "In any case, I have some questions for you- starting with where did Gilgamesh and Enkidu go?"  
  
"They're in my heart right now, and only Gil can talk to me through the heart, so you won't be seeing them unless I summon them, and I really don't feel like summoning right now," Ana said, as she reached into her bag and pulled out a blue cube- an Ether which she immediately took a bite out of and ate like it was a gummy candy. Already she could feel the raspberry-flavored cube refill her stores of magic.  
  
"I see," Even said as he wrote things down in a notebook, "So Eidolons can be stored in a heart. How fascinating! Now, Terra has told me everything he knows about Enkidu and Gilgamesh, but I'm curious to learn just how sharing your heart with them will affect you!"  
  
"Really all that's changed is that I can hear Gilgamesh in my head, ok?" Ana said, "That's all I can tell you, and I only know as much about Eidolons as Terra."  
  
"I see," Even said, before getting an eerie-looking smile on his face, "Perhaps I should travel with you two, if you're hunting for more Eidolons, I could perhaps learn more while in the field."  
  
"No," Ana said, "You're not coming with us."  
  
"Pardon?" Even said in surprise, "And why not?"  
  
"Because Xion basically told me about you once and considered you a father figure and I do not want Xion to go through what I did when my dad fell into his coma if anything should happen to you. That fair?" Ana said bluntly as she could, while also wanting Even to get away from her. The man then paused and sighed, before nodding in agreement.  
  
"Very well," Even said, "However, I still wish to know more about the Eidolons, so please send me any and all information you learn, perhaps the mystery behind them might lead to findings in other fields as well. Especially since it feels like that ruin Enkidu hid out in during his thefts has opened up a lost chapter of history that must be researched."  
  
"Then how about we visit from time to time and show you what Eidolons I collected?" Ana said with a shrug, while Even took a moment to think about it.  
  
"Very well, but if you forget, I will personally find a way to hunt you down and join you myself whether you like it or not," Even said and then took his leave. With Terra and Ana now alone, the tired summoner let out a groan once Even was out of earshot.  
  
"Tell me he isn't serious," Ana said with a sigh, only for Terra to shake his head.  
  
"He's serious," he said with a groan, "He wouldn't stop asking me if there were similar ruins in the Land of Departure and whatever else I knew about Gil, I even had to ask Aqua to send everything she knew as well as photos of Gil's prison to Even just to keep him from asking things I didn't know... to be honest, I've never seen him so enthusiastic about research before, I guess he's changed a lot recently or something."  
  
"Maybe he feels like he wants to present his findings to that Ansem guy for a promotion or something," Ana guessed, before looking at Terra, "Also, Merlin told me to tell you something about a book waiting for you at his place."  
  
"Oh," Terra said as he rubbed his neck, "I see. So... uh... did he talk to you about anything?"  
  
"Just about Eidolons and he gave me one he found in charm form in some place called Traverse Town," Ana said with a shrug.  
  
"Ah," Terra said, and so the awkward silence between them continued.  
  


~0~

Meanwhile, in Enkidu's ruin, Mortimer let out a groan as he finally awoke from the beatdown he got from that four-armed monster. He had no idea who or what he or the green thing was, but he seemed to know a lot about Excalibur. As the mouse tried to get up though, he found himself tied up in chains connected to a wall and also noticed fewer weapons were in the chamber.  
  
"Great, just great," Mortimer said with a frown, "I'm trapped in a ruin, got my tail handed to me by some monster protective of that human girl, the sword I spent years searching for is out of my hands and probably in that jerk's, and oh yeah, I'm stuck in what may be a prison cell. This can't get any worse, can it?"  
  
As soon as he said those words, however, a dark portal opened in the chamber, followed by a large lumbering figure coming through it- a cat in a blue and red outfit with white accents that Mortimer recognized all too well.  
  
"P-Pete!" Mortimer said in shock, "What are you doing here? Last I heard, Queen Minnie banished you to another dimension years ago!"  
  
"Well, I'm back!" Pete said as he crossed his arms, "As for what I'm doing here is getting you, Mortimer- you're a very hard mouse to find, ya know?"  
  
"Well, I have my reasons, but as you can see, I'm a little tied up at the moment..." Mortimer said only for Pete to pick up the tall mouse and break the chains right off of him before setting Mortimer on his feet. "Thanks..."  
  
"Just be happy that I found a job for you, Mouseboy," Pete said, causing Mortimer to become curious.  
  
"A job? Doing what? Steering that old tub of yours?" he said, only for the cat to glare at him.  
  
"No, a job working for Maleficent- she needs a thief to steal a box from someone, and you-" Pete said, pointing at Mortimer, "Are the best mouse for the job."  
  
"Why not get that Os---" Mortimer said, only to become pinned to the wall by Pete.  
  
"Do not say that rabbit's name!" he growled, "If there's one guy I _hate_ more than Mickey, it's that darn brother of his! Not to mention there's no telling where he is now, or if he's even alive anymore, ya hear me?"  
  
"U-Understood," Mortimer wheezed out as he was dropped to the ground by the heavyset cat, "So, what's in the box you want me to steal?"  
  
"Maleficent won't say, so I guess we'll find out when you manage to steal it." Pete said as he crossed his arms and glared, "Remember, you owe her a favor for finding you and you owe me for freeing you."  
  
"Sorry, but no thanks," Mortimer said, "I'm looking for Excalibur and almost got my hands on it- so unless she knows where to find it so I can steal it, then we'll talk."  
  
"I'm sure she does- she knows a lot of stuff," Pete said, causing Mortimer's ears to perk up.  
  
"But let me guess, to get that info, I need to get her that box, right? Any idea who has it currently?"  
  
"A man in black named Xigbar," Pete said, "Him and a bunch of masked people have it in their possession, and we don't know how to get close to them to get it without getting into trouble."  
  
"I see," Mortimer said, "Well, what if I do help you guys and get the box, hm? I could try and whip up a few distractions for those guys so I can get the box... though, my services do come with a price, Petey boy."  
  
"Well, follow me through the Dark Corridor, and we'll negotiate the price with Maleficent," Pete said, pointing to the swirling black portal behind him.  
  
"Pete, you got yourself a deal!" Mortimer said with a laugh as he walked toward the corridor with pride.  
  
The mouse had no idea just what exactly he was getting into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woohoo! Ten chapters are up now and the ReMind DLC is released... on PS4 but still! 
> 
> Anyway, yes, Demyx did make an appearance in this chapter (and I really hope he's in character in his brief appearance), but his appearance wasn't planned. It was inspired by the fact that in KH3... he doesn't just appear after a certain point so I assumed he survived the whole thing like Even did and just... did his own thing after the game was done.
> 
> Also yes, Ana gets a new summon from Merlin as well, and Kirin's dialogue was inspired by the manga Rurouni Kenshin.
> 
> As for Mortimer's near mention of a certain rabbit, that's really more of a reference to Pete's time in the cartoons before Steamboat Willie introduced Mickey Mouse to the world, when he was I think an antagonist to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. As for why this Pete is angry at the rabbit?
> 
> Time will tell...


	11. Titan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ana goes to Olympus Coliseum to find a new Eidolon...

It was the following day after the return of the missing weapons and Ana was busy updating things on her Gummi Phone as she stood in the fountain plaza.

 _Just found Enkidu yesterday, now Gil, his Little Buddy, Terra, and I are going to try and look for Phoenix._ she wrote on Kingstagram, under a picture of her with Gilgamesh and Terra holding Enkidu. Though, once she posted the picture, she did get messages from those who were checking Kingstagram first thing in the morning.

 _That's Enkidu?_ wrote Ventus, _I... expected something bigger. I guess he really lives up to the title of Gil's Little Buddy._

 _Be careful out there,_ sent Aqua, the short and sweet post causing Ana to sigh before she checked the other messages that popped up.

 _OMG so cute!_ wrote Xion, though whether or not she was being polite or not, Ana wasn't sure.

 _Wow, someone doesn't look happy, give Terra my condolences!_ Axel wrote, followed by a laughing emoji.

 _It was the only way to keep him from trying to eat the phone, plus, he almost bit me!_ Terra replied to Axel, who then sent another couple of emoji, one laughing the other a big grin.

 _I have no idea what's going on, but good luck,_ Roxas sent, causing Ana to smile a bit as she sent him a message of thanks.

 _I agree with Aqua, best be careful out in the worlds,_ sent Riku, causing Ana to silently agree with both Aqua and Riku. She honestly needed to be careful in unknown territory after all.

And then, came posts from people she didn't recognize.

 _Hey, big tipper, if you need a scout to help you look, send me a message!_ said a guy named Demyx, who looked a lot like the guy she saw playing Sitar the day before.

 _Wow! cool!_ said a kid named Sora, though what he thought was cool, she didn't really know just yet. As for the final message, it was from a girl named Kairi.

_It's so nice to see another girl Keyblader! I hope to meet you someday soon!_

"Well, that looks like all the messages," Ana then said as she sent out replies real quick, only to get a call on her phone. "Hello?"

 _"Hey, Ana, just calling to check in on you and see how you're doing,_ said Aqua, who smiled on screen.

"I'm doing fine, Frills," Ana said with a groan, "I fulfilled my part of the deal I made with Gilgamesh about finding Enkidu, and now he and his best friend are going to help me find Phoneix."

 _"I saw your post on Kingstagram,"_ Aqua then said with a smile, _"Just wanted to remind you to be careful out there, the Heartless are no joke and there's no telling how dangerous any other Eidolons out there might be."_

"Don't worry, I'm sure once Gil's memories come back, he'll be able to tell me," Ana said with a sigh, "Besides, Frills, we don't even know how many Eidolons there are or how many worlds even have them."

 _"Do you have an idea of where to go next?"_ Aqua then asked, only for Ana to shake her head.

"Not yet... but I'm sure something will come up," Ana said sheepishly before she rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand. "Anyway, I gotta go meet up with Terra, he went to talk to Riku about something this morning."

 _"Alright, but still, try and be careful out there, ok?"_ Aqua said and hung up as Ana gave the keyblade master a thumbs up. With the call ended, Ana let out a sigh as she slipped her gummi phone into her pocket, she was about to turn around when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"You're Ana, aren't you?" said a young man with short blue-gray hair covering one of his blue eyes, and dressed in a labcoat, purple cravat over nice clothes.

"Yeah, and you were that Ienzo guy Pence was talking to, right?" Ana said, earning a nod from the man.

"That's right, Pence and I are acquaintances of sorts through our mutual enjoyment of computers," Ienzo said, "He's actually working hard to restore the virtual Twilight Town Ansem built, though in his words, he's adding a few tweaks."

"Like what?" Ana said as she raised an eyebrow.

"Such as a beach," Ienzo said with a smile, "Also, I'll need to let Pence know you're alright, he's been very worried about you since... that incident in the computer lab."

"Why would he be worried about me?" Ana said, only for Ienzo to quickly turn around and head back to the castle.

"Sorry, but, uh, I have work to do," Ienzo said, dodging the question entirely, "It was nice speaking with you, Miss Ana."

"Uh... right..." Ana said as she headed towards the bailey where Riku and Terra would be, at least according to Kingstagram.

The walk to the Bailey was rather quiet for the most part, birds were singing, the sun was shining and all in all it was a beautiful day in this world full of Light. Ana had also been tempted to talk with Aerith about her flower shop, but in all honesty, she couldn't bring herself to do so. Sure, the woman in pink looked nice, but Ana was honestly afraid that it was a front Aerith put up and the girl was, in reality, a lot like Julia back in Twilight Town.

To Ana, people were a lot like roses, sure some may look beautiful, but the thorns they hid their thorns with that beauty or kindness, and in Ana's experience, Julia had been the most beautiful rose with the sharpest thorns.

Ana did not want to be pricked again by those thorns.

~0~

At the Bailey, Terra had just put away his phone, a little annoyed at Axel but also glad that he didn't end up typing up random emojis in his sentence like he usually did when on his Gummi Phone. In all honesty, Riku had said over the phone he wanted to meet with Terra that morning, and so he got up before Ana did to head to the bailey. As he waited though, he thought a bit about his mission, and how similar it was to Aqua's mission to keep an eye on him years ago. This time, however, the task had been explained to Ana at the start, instead of later on and causing a fight. Still, he was worried about how things would turn out and if he was really cut out for the task Yen Sid had given him. He had fallen to darkness before thanks to Xehanort's manipulations, but he couldn't help but feel that if he failed this task and let Ana fall to darkness, then he would be responsible for unleashing something terrible on the worlds.

Ana had a lot of magic at her disposal, and three Eidolons as well. If she stayed out of the darkness, then she'd be a powerful keyblade wielder, but if she fell as he did...

"Something on your mind?" Riku said as he stepped off of his glider, having arrived while Terra was deep in thought.

"Just... recent events," Terra said, "I was tasked by Yen Sid to keep an eye on Ana and keep her from falling to darkness, and... well, I'm not sure if I can even do that considering what happened to me."

"Hey, maybe this is a chance to make up for that," Riku said, "Though, what I'm worried about are those Eidolons that she can use."

"What about them?" Terra said, "Sure, they look weird, but I don't think they're dangerous."

"Maybe not, but if they fall into the wrong hands, they might end up being so. We both saw what Gil did when it seemed like Ana was in danger, imagine what would happen if the wrong people got their hands on one."

"Yeah..." Terra said with a shudder, "If Maleficent finds out about them, we could be in trouble...though as far as I can tell, only a summoner can use Eidolons... and it's weird."

"What is?" Riku asked as Terra clarified.

"Well, couldn't Sora also use summons?"

"Yeah, but I think that was different," Riku said, "He didn't use Eidolons, he used a charm or a heartbinder to summon allies to his aid and most of the ones he told me about he'd never seen before."

"That's true," Terra said, "But the principle is the same, and neither of us can use Summons as Sora and Ana can."

"Yeah..." Riku said with a sigh as he ran his hand through his short hair, "Still, I wonder why they're awakening now? Why didn't they react before when Sora started his first journey?"

"Why Sora?" Terra said, only for Riku to cross his arms.

"Just a hunch," Riku said, "But, Sora might be a summoner like Ana, even if their methods are different."

"That's a good point..." Terra said, before both their phones chimed- an update on Kingstagram, just as Ana arrived at the Bailey.

"Hey, Lunkhead, ready to go?" Ana said, causing Terra to groan.

"Can I get a new nickname, please?" Terra said as he gave Ana a slight glare.

"Only when I think one up," Ana said with a smirk while Riku chuckled a bit.

"Do you have any idea where to go next?" he said while Ana summoned her keyblade and lazily twirled it in her hand.

"That Olympus place you told me about," Ana said, "Even if there's no Phoenix there, it might be a good place to check out."

"Plus, you can get some training in at the coliseum," Riku added, "A little training never hurt anyone, after all."

"Fair enough," Ana said with a shrug, before cringing a bit, "And Gil is cheering in my head. Loudly."

"That's gotta be so weird, to have a voice in your heart..." Terra said, while Ana actually chuckled.

"Yeah, it is," she said, before looking out her phone, "Anyway, let's see what's new on Kingstagram- my phone buzzed before I got here."

As all three keyblade wielders pulled out their phones, they saw a picture of a brown-haired boy in black and red clothes posing with a muscular man with short red hair wearing armor and a blue cape with a sword at his hip. The pair seemed to be enjoying themselves while in the background, a dark-skinned stranger with a blue and white toga, a nearly bald head save for a sing black lock and a wicked-looking mustache was flexing in the background as well.

Terra watched as Ana flinched for a moment before she frowned and zoomed in on the dark figure in the background, trying her best to get a good look at him on her phone's screen.

"Something wrong?" Terra asked as Ana nodded.

"Yeah, the guy in the background is familiar to Gil, though he can't recall how yet," Ana said, "So, I think we need to find the guy and see if he jogs Gil's memory or not."

"Which means we're off to Olympus," Terra said to Ana, who nodded in agreement. She then raised her keyblade and pointed it away from Terra and Riku as she concentrated on making a portal. Once more, the smell of roses filled the air, followed by her keyblade sending out a beam of light that summoned forth a shining corridor appeared. Riku was speechless as Terra walked through it, followed by Ana.

It was time to continue their journey, after all.

~0~

In the fields around Mount Olympus, a boy with brown hair, blue eyes and red and black clothes at by the riverbank, his yellow and black shoes resting beside him as his feet cooled off in the moving water.

"Phew, what a day!" Sora said as he looked up at the sunny sky overhead. He had a rather exciting day, first, he woke up early to train with Hercules and Phil, and then that new guy showed up after he had bombed Sora's photo with Hercules looking for a trainer. Well, Sora had recommended Phil to the stranger, but for some reason, the Satyr refused to take the new guy in unless he proved himself to be Hero Material.

It took an attack by a local monster called a harpy to handle that, as the stranger took the bird on his own and managed to wrestle it to the ground with his bare hands without even a scratch! As a result, the stranger, Titan, saved the life of a little boy the Harpy was targetting, earning him a bit of Hero cred as far as Sora was concerned. Still, as Sora summoned his plain-looking keyblade to his hand, he played slightly with the crown-shaped pendant around his neck as he thought to himself.

After he managed to return from Yozora's world, Sora's memory had been a bit fuzzy again. He honestly couldn't remember how he returned from that world or what had happened after he fought Yozora, only that when he came to, he was being hugged by Kairi. It was similar to what happened before his second journey when he woke up in that strange pod now that he thought about it, and wondered if Namine had anything to do with it or not.

Still, he decided not to dwell on it- he was home, yes, but once again his powers were back to the beginning, which meant that he had to retrain himself for the next threat that came his way. He wanted to be there for his friends after all, and he also wanted to try and become a Keyblade Master this time as well.

"Gawrsh, Sora," said a tall dog next to him, bringing Sora back to reality, "That Titan feller's pretty mysterious now that I think about it!"

"Yeah," said a duck on Sora's other side, "Where did he even come from, anyway?"

"No idea," Sora said as he kicked his feet in the water, while his friends, Donald Duck and Goofy let out a sigh.

It was then, that a shining portal opened on the other side of the river, causing Sora to jump in surprise and ready his keyblade, even though he was barefoot this time. However, when he saw a tall brunet walk through the portal, he relaxed and leaned on his keyblade before waving casually at his friend.

"Hey Terra, how have you been?" he said before slipping his shoes back on to his wet feet- which was a mistake as now his shoes felt slimy on the inside. Still, he grinned and bore it as he saw Terra followed by a familiar-looking girl as the portal closed.

"I've been alright," Terra said before looking to Ana, "Ana, this is Sora, Donald, and Goofy, they're friends of mine."

"Nice to meet ya," Ana said, causing Sora to realize where he'd seen her before.

"Wait, you're the girl from the picture on Kingstagram!" he said, pointing at the girl in the cowboy hat, black denim jacket, blue and white dress over black shorts and a lucky emblem necklace around her neck.

"No duh, Captain Obvious," Ana said in annoyance, "Also, it's rude to point, ya know?"

"But wait, where are the other two?" Sora said as he looked around, "You know, Gilgamesh and his little buddy?"

"They're on standby," Ana said as she summoned her keyblade, surprising Sora further. Her keyblade looked to be florally themed like his friend Kairies though it looked like roses were the flower of choice instead of wildflowers and the beach like on Kairi's keyblade. In fact, the keychains were different as well, as Ana's keyblade had a token that looked like a red and yellow rose, not to mention the handle looked weird as the handguard had a very different shape than all the keyblades he'd seen- it was a basket guard instead of a guard that surrounded the handle.

"Wow, that's a cool Keyblade!" Sora said as he held his own up, the Kingdom Key being his best keychain- though it was always the one he started with on his journies. "This is mine, the Kingdom Key! What's yours called, Ana?"

"Rose Morning," Ana said as she twirled her keyblade in her hand before pointing it at the ground- a position that seemed familiar to Sora as he remembered his first journey. "Gilgamesh!"

In a flash of light, a four-armed figure in red armor and a matching cloak appeared before Sora, causing the boy to fall on his rear in surprise. He didn't expect to see such a tall guy in his life- the giant being only a head taller than Terra. Not to mention that the way he looked at Sora with blank white eyes was a little unnerving.

"Hey," Gilgamesh then said, "You seem familiar, have we met before?"

"No, I don't think so," Sora said, "I think I'd remember seeing something like you before... right Donald, Goofy?"

"Yeah!" both duck and dog said at the same time, the dog raising a shield while the duck held a staff in his hand. Gil immediately appeared on their side of the river, moving to examine Goofy's shield while the dog held it in his hands.

"Huh, nice weight to it, and it's well taken care of. too," Gilgamesh said more to himself while Goofy seemed stunned before looking proud of the giant's attention. Though, Sora wasn't sure what was going on before Ana spoke.

"Sora, right?" she said, earning a nod from the boy, "Listen, we're here looking for info on someone, can you help us out?"

"Sure, what do you want to know?" Sora then asked with a smile, while Ana continued to frown- what was she annoyed about?

"Do you know who this guy is?" Ana said, pulling out her Gummi Phone and showing the zoomed-in portion of a pic Sora had posted earlier that day, the one where he and Hercules paused their workout in order to pose for the camera.

"Gawrsh, that's Titan!" Goofy then said before Sora could say anything while Donald groaned, "He's a new fighter at the Coliseum, started today after saving a boy from a Harpy too!"

"Wait, did you say Titan!?" Gilgamesh then said, catching Sora off guard as he jumped in surprise while Ana and Terra jumped over the small river to join the rest of the group. "I remember that guy! He was the reason me and Enkidu even got together as friends!"

"Enkidu?" Sora then asked while Ana sighed.

"He's Gil's best friend," she said, "I'd summon him, but I'm not sure if I can, I've only been at this for almost a week and a half, to be honest."

"Actually," Gil said, "A summoner with multiple Eidolons can use them in battle if the Eidolons in question have something in common, in me and Enkidu's case, it would be our history as friends."

"You couldn't have said that before?" Ana said to the giant, who blushed and rubbed his neck with his upper right hand.

"Well, I did just remember that detail..." Gil said, causing Ana to sigh.

"Right, Memory loss," he said before repeating what she did to summon Gilgamesh, "Enkidu!"

In another flash of light, a green doglike creature with stubby legs appeared next to Gilgamesh, who looked around the area before staring at Sora and his friends. In fact, the little guy was kind of cute, in a way- like one of the dream eaters Sora had encountered in the Realm of Sleep.

"Who they?" Enkidu asked as he tilted his horned head, the beetle-like charm around his neck clicking against his collar.

"I'm-" Sora said, only to be pounced on by Enkidu and get his face licked before the green gargoyle spoke.

"Buts!" Enkidu said before Sora laughed while the green creature repeated the name three times.

"My name's Sora, not Buts!" he said with a chuckle while Enkidu paused and looked confused.

"Sorry, Sor-Sor," Enkidu said before hopping off of Sora before the boy continued to introduce his friends.

"Anyway, these are my friends, Donald and Goofy," he said, pointing out the duck and dog respectively.

"Don-Don and Goof-Goof," Enkidu then said while Gilgamesh chuckled a bit, "Enkidu got it!"

"Anyway," Gilgamesh then said, "Enkidu, do you remember Titan?"

The creature stopped bouncing for a moment, before pausing to think, but it wasn't long before he spoke again. "Titan! Remember Titan! Titan friend!"

"That's right," Gilgamesh said with a grin, "According to Goofy, Titan is here in this world somewhere."

This bit of information caused Enkidu to gasp before the little guy ran circles around Gilgamesh in excitement, causing the giant to look at Sora and speak at the same time as Terra.

"Do you know where Titan is now?" the two said before the two looked at each other and shrugged.

"Yeah, he's at the Coliseum," Sora said, "Come on, we'll show you guys the way."

~0~

Later at the Coliseum the Ana and the others had arrived at the entrance, where the dark-haired girl saw what looked like a tiny goat-man adjusting a sign and mumbling to himself.

"Hey," Sora then said, trying to get the goat man's attention.

"In a sec, kid," the goat-man said as he tried to swat something behind him, "I'm busy preparing for the next set of games."

"But Phil, someone's here to see Titan!" Sora said, causing Phil to stop and turn around.

"Sora, you know the rules- no fans allowed during training!" Phil then said before he spotted Ana and his expression changed. "Well hello there beautiful, why don't you and I take a private tour of the coliseum?"

"Not interested in old goats, sorry," Ana said bluntly, while Gilgamesh glared at the goat-man before he stepped between the two, causing Phil to look up in surprise.

"Woah now, what the Tartarus are you!?" Phil then said while Gilgamesh smirked for a moment as his summoner let out a small groan.

"I, am the mighty Gilgamesh!" said the four-armed giant, "And my Mistress and I are here to see Titan in an attempt to recruit him!"

"Mistress!?" Phil said, before looking at Ana, "Listen, lady, I don't know what you're into but---"

"It's not like that!" Ana said, "I'm Gilgamesh's trainer, and he and his little buddy are best clients."

"A trainer, eh?" Phil said as he looked Ana up and down, while Terra, Sora, Donald, Enkidu, and Goofy gave her a look of disbelief. "I don't buy it."

Ana bit her lip as she glanced around the entrance of the Coliseum, before looking at the two dueling statues above the door. Then, an idea hit her as she turned back to face Phil with a smile on her face.

"Then how about a deal?" she then said, earning a curious look from the goat-man, "My best fighter, Gilgamesh goes against your best Fighter, and if he gives your guy a good fight, then I get to see Titan- win or lose."

"So, you want an exhibition match in exchange for seeing the new guy?" Phil then asked, earning a nod from Ana, "Well, I don't see why not, but if your guy does badly in the fight, then I'm banning you from the Coliseum for lying to me!"

"But that isn't fair!" Sora then said, only for Phil to glare at the boy as he spoke.

"Hero training is serious business, and I won't tolerate anyone who lies about it!" Phil then said, causing Sora to fall silent, he then turned and looked at one of the giant statues crossing swords over the entrance to the Coliseum, before he called out a name. "Hey, Herc! Ya gotta an exhibition match to do!"

Someone at the top of the statue apparently heard as the next thing Ana knew, coming down to greet them was a very buff man with short, curly red hair, blue eyes and wearing leather armor with a sword at his side and a blue cape on his shoulders.

"So, who am I fight--" Hercules said, before he spotted Terra, "Wait, Terra? Is that you?"

"Hercules!?" Terra said, recognizing an old friend he hadn't seen in a long time, "Wow, I hardly recognized you!"

"Yeah, I'm no longer the scrawny teen you met years ago," Hercules said with a smile and was about to say something else when Phil spoke up.

"Kid. Focus," said the goat-man, and as Ana watched the redhead turn to face his friend and nod.

"Right, sorry Phil," Hercules then said, "So, who am I going up against?"

"That would be me," Gilgamesh then said, waving a hand before holding it out to Hercules, "I am the Mighty Gilgamesh, it's nice to meet you, Hercules!"

"Likewise," Hercules said as he shook Gilgamesh's hand, "Here's to a good match."

"Yeah," Gilgamesh said with a smile, "How about we do it without any weapons? I mean, I have four arms and you only got two, so it probably wouldn't be fair if I went in with all four of my weapons out and about and you only have a sword."

"That sounds fair, good call," Hercules said as the pair went into the vestibule between the entrance and the arena proper. As Ana passed through it, she saw all sorts of trophies with Sora's name on them, though she didn't say anything unless the boy decided to bring it up himself. However, now that she looked at Sora, she couldn't help but feel like she'd seen him somewhere before- though where it was, she couldn't quite remember.

Probably nothing to worry about in all honesty.

A little later, once all but Gilgamesh and Hercules were in the stands, Ana held Enkidu in silence as a barrier suddenly formed around the battlefield, followed by the two combatants charging each other before their arms locked them in place. The two were now struggling to push the other back, Hercules apparently being stronger than he looked as he was able to keep up with Gilgamesh. Then, Gilgamesh's lower arms grabbed Hercules by the waist and flipped him over Gil's shoulder, causing the man to hit the ground.

"Kid!" Phil then said as Hercules got up, while Enkidu cheered on Gilgamesh. Then, Herc's body started to glow, causing Gilgamesh to look confused as Herc charged in, head lowered before hitting Gil in the stomach and sending him back, but not flying as the four-armed-giant managed to keep himself grounded somehow. As the pair began to punch each other though, the two strong figures managed to somehow not send the other flying as Hercules got hit with twice as many punches as he gave out. 

Of course, it seemed like Gilgamesh would win when he glanced to the side and saw Titan had quietly appeared on the scene, sitting in the stands on the other side of the Coliseum and watching the two fight, that Hercules managed to punch Gilgamesh in the stomach, sending him flying across the battlefield and through the barrier, breaking it and letting the four-armed giant in red land in the stand behind him.

"Ow..." Gilgamesh said as Ana and Enkidu ran over to check on him.

"Gil, are you alright!?" Ana said, worried about her partner in her quest.  
  
"Gigylmesh..." Enkidu said, before licking his friend's hand and earning a pet and a thumbs up from Gilgamesh.

"Don't worry, my armor protected me," he said with a smile, "Genji Gear's some pretty well-made equipment after all."

"That's a relief," Ana said with a smile, before someone cleared their throat behind her, as Ana turned around, she saw Phil, glaring at her.

"That was a terrible fight!" Phil said, "I think you lied about being a trainer, lady, so either fess up to being just a fan, or get kicked out and banned from the Coliseum for life!"

"I-" Ana said, only to be interrupted by a new voice.

"What is going on here!?" said the dark figure of Titan, the monstrous man in the blue and white toga looking even taller than Gilgamesh as he loomed over Phil.

"These fans lied their way into the Coliseum in an attempt to see you, Titan," Phil said as he pointed to the trio, "I was just about to kick them out for a bad fight."

"I thought that was a nice brawl," Titan then said as he crossed his arms, "And if this is how you treat two of my friends and their companion, then I do not wish to be trained by you, Philoctetes."

"What!? But that fight was just... boring, there was no flash, no magic, just-" Phil began to say, only to be picked up by Titan as the man's glowing white eyes glared at the goat-man.

"You are two used to flash that you forgot about the basics, which I think Herc and Gilgamesh showed today," Titan said, "And if they wanted to see me, I would gladly have spoken to them in private, now, let me catch up with my friends and meet the young lady who went through so much trouble to see me, understand?"

"S-sure..." Phil said as he was set down and quickly ran off. With things said and done, Titan then helped Gilgamesh up on his feet, and while supporting his fellow Eidolon on his shoulder, led Ana and Enkidu to an empty room to the side of the Colleseum. It was there, that Titan set Gilgamesh down on the ground before he moved to sit down with him. He then gave a tired smile to the four-armed giant and Enkidu and shook his head.

"Even after being sealed away, you two still managed to get into trouble," Titan said with a laugh, "So, I take it the girl is your summoner then? I'm surprised you two finally found one!"

"They never had a summoner before?"Ana asked in surprise as Titan nodded.

"Indeed, the pair used to be a couple of bandits, until one day they decided to change, though I can't seem to recall why that was."

"Neither can I," Gilgamesh then said with a sigh, "Then again, I lost most of my memories after being sealed away- apparently the place my prison was under got turned into this place that erases memories over time."

"I see," Titan said, before looking to Ana, "Though, I'm curious why only now a summoner decided to find us."

"Well... about that, it seems the guy who sealed us away decided to destroy as many Summoners as he can." Gilgamesh then said, surprising Ana.

"Wait, what?" Ana said, "Why would he do that?"

"Can't remember yet," Gilgamesh said, while Titan sighed before looking to Enkidu.

"Do you remember what happened, Enkidu?"

"Enkidu was scouting for Gigylmesh when the Bad Man came and captured Enkidu. Enkidu was used to trap Gigylmesh and got separated from Gigylmesh." Enkidu said sadly, "But then Ana came and brought Gigylmesh back! Now Titan is back too, which means new friends to help Ana find the Big Birdie!"

"You're searching for Phoenix?" Titan then said to Ana in surprise, "Why are you doing that?"

"It's because my dad's in a Coma, and Gil told me when we met that Phoenix might be able to wake him up," Ana said, "Then again, I wouldn't even know I was a summoner if these staticky images didn't appear before me in Twilight Town."

"I see," Titan said, "So that explains how I awakened... before I broke through my seal after a long sleep, I sensed a Summoner and tried to reach out to them, as did many others I assume."

"So... I got a question that's been bugging me since before we were sealed away," Gilgamesh then said, trying to change the subject, "Why did you give me Enkidu? I mean, I used to be a bandit, and I really don't think that was a good idea to give someone as impressionable as Enkidu to a guy like me."

"I honestly don't know why myself, other than I was ordered to give Enkidu to you by King Bahamut, and I would rather not deny his request," Titan said, causing Ana to look at them in confusion.

"Who's King Bahamut?" she said, while Titan looked at her and then to Gil.

"Bahamut, from what I just remembered is the King of the Eidolons, and also a dragon that can destroy worlds with his Zetta Flare attack." Gilgamesh then said before Titan nodded.

"Indeed, and if he thought you needed Enkidu, then I wasn't going to question him," Titan then said as he crossed his muscular arms.

"Hey Titan," Ana then said, "Do you know where Phoenix was sealed away?"

"Sadly, I don't..." Titan said with a sigh, "However since Phoenix was among the first to be sealed away, King Bahamut might know as he was one of the last ones to be sealed away."

"Do you know where Bahamut was sealed away?" Gilgamesh said, only for Titan to shake his head.

"I do not, I... was sealed early on as well, but I could listen through the earth for any updates- that is what my power is over after all." Titan said, "It is also how I learned you were here, so I feel that I must apologize for eavesdropping about the deal you made with Philoctetes."

"It's alright," Ana said with a sigh, "And I was really hoping to get a lead on Phoenix, or at least an Eidolon who knows where it is..."

"I'm sure you'll find a way, though I am curious about which family you belong to Ana," Titan then said, causing a bit of confusion for Ana.

"What do you mean which family?" Ana asked in confusion, "As far as I know, I'm the only summoner there is."

"I see," Titan said with a sigh, "I was hoping that among the survivors of the apparent Genocide, then perhaps my family might have survived. But, as I am without a summoner and you are the only one, I must ask- how many pacts have you made?"

"Well, I have Gil, Enkidu, and Kirin in terms of Eidolons," Ana said, causing Titan's eyes to go wide.

"Three Eidolons, and you don't even feel tired?" Titan then asked, "You must have a lot of magic within you! Well, since you went through all the trouble of finding me, I wouldn't mind testing you- Gilgamesh and Enkidu must show me their skills, if they give me a good fight, then I'll join you."

"Another fight?" Ana asked before giving a sigh, "Well, if that's what you want, who am I to deny it? Let's just get things over with."

"Very well," Titan said with a nod, and so the quartet went back into the arena.

~0~ 

Meanwhile, Hercules and Terra were sitting in the stands with Sora, Donald, and Goofy the five catching up a little while Ana was talking with Titan.

"So, what do you think they're talking about?" Sora then asked, while his friend Goofy crossed his arms to think.

"Gawrsh, maybe they're talkin' about Eidolon stuff!" Goofy said, while Donald grumbled.

"I don't like this," Donald then said as he frowned, "I can't help but feel like something's not right about Titan."

"Well, he still saved that kid from the Harpy," Sora said with a shrug, "So he can't be all that bad, just like Demyx, ya know?"

Now that was an interesting encounter Sora didn't expect to make. He truly didn't even think someone like Demyx, who gave him a lot of trouble a couple of years ago would turn out to be a pretty alright guy. Then again, if Axel could turn out to be alright, then maybe someone like Demyx and even Luxord could be alright too. 

Silently, Sora pulled out the card that Luxord had given him before he disappeared, the wild card that he might need one day before he slipped it back into his pocket. He had no idea why he might need it, but it probably wouldn't hurt to always keep it on him- just in case.

Sora was then drawn out of his thoughts by Titan returning with Gilgamesh and Enkidu, with Ana coming to the stands. As Sora looked at her, he couldn't help but feel like that before today, he'd seen her somewhere before, but couldn't recall where. Which was weird since he was pretty sure this was their first meeting.

"So Ana," Sora then said as she sat down, and the three Eidolons in the arena prepared for battle, "Where do you come from?"

"Twilight Town," Ana said, causing Sora to grin.

"Oh cool, then do you know Hayner, Pence, Olette, Roxas, Axel, and Xion?" Sora then asked, listing off his friends there, before adding, "Oh, and Seifer and his crew too, I guess."

"Yeah, I know them," Ana said, "I was Hayner, Pence, and Olette's senior in school before I graduated this year, and I deliver flowers to where Roxas, Axel, and Xion work. As for Seifer, I know of him, but only like, fought him once in a struggle match."

"Yeah, Seifer's pretty tough to fight," Sora said as he recalled his battles against Seifer.

"Actually, he was only a little challenging," Ana said, "I guess that's because I had a good teacher in my dad,"

Seeing Ana start to frown again, Sora decided to reach over and put his fingers on either side of her mouth and turned that frown into a smile, smiling himself as he added.

"Hey, no frowning," Sora said, "I may not know what's up but... you gotta grin and bear it sometimes, even when life's at its darkest, ya know? Besides, you gotta look happy for your friends, right?"

"Yeah... I guess you're right..." Ana said as she pulled away and turned to look at the fight itself, Sora turning his attention just as Gilgamesh actually teleported to the top of a rock spire that Titan had summoned from the ground, while Enkidu flew around the battlefield spitting out fireballs and crunching through rocks thrown his way.

 _Note to self, do not get bitten by Enkidu,_ Sora mentally noted as Gilgamesh ran across several spires to strike Titan with his two swords, axe, and spear, only for a shield of rock to block them. Of course, Gilgamesh then warped behind it and kicked Titan in the rear, knocking the taller giant forward and also knocking down the stone shield in front of them both. Then, Enkidu flew in and started smacking Titan with his stubby paws while Titan and Gilgamesh were in a deadlock- arms on each other's shoulders as they tried to pin one another on the ground.

Then, Titan performed a suplex, flipping Gilgamesh over his shoulders and onto the ground itself. Gilgamesh managed to get up and wobbled a bit, and both he and Enkidu looked tired while Titan looked as fresh as a daisy while his single lock of black hair glistened in the sunlight.

It was over in a moment after that as both Gilgamesh and Enkidu fell over in a heap, before vanishing from sight. Ana flinched as they vanished, but held on as she stood up and started walking towards the arena to talk to Titan again, only for Titan to walk over to her instead and steady her before sitting down and whispered something in her ear- though what it was, Sora didn't quite catch.

Goofy, however, did as he whispered in Sora's ear what was going on.

"Sora, it seems that Ana and Titan made a deal- a good fight against Gilgamesh and Enkidu in exchange for Titan traveling with her," he said, his ears raised as he tried to catch more information, "I think the fight was enough fun for Titan that he's agreed to go with her on her journey for something called Phoenix."

Sora was surprised by this, they decided to do that in private? Still, he wanted to congratulate Ana before she left and was about to stand up and talk to her when she collapsed.

"Ana!?" both Sora and Terra said, while Titan merely picked the girl up and laid her on the bench carefully.

"Don't worry, it's simply exhaustion getting to her, she'll be fine after some rest," Titan said as he looked down at his new summoner, "She's got a lot of magic in her, to be able to pull off what she did, and I look forward to seeing her unlock her full potential."

"So, you're leaving then?" Hercules then said, earning a nod from Titan.

"Yes," Titan said, "Please tell that boy I saved if he comes by the Coliseum to see me that I'm going on a long journey and that I'm sorry that I couldn't tell him goodbye."

"Don't worry, I will," Hercules said with a nod and was about to shake Titan's hand when the muscular Eidolon vanished from sight in a flash of light.

The short career of Titan at the Coliseum seemed to be at an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, Sora shows up this chapter despite what happened at the end of the ReMind DLC. As a result of this, I've decided to keep things vague for now, and also have a slight repeat of the ending of Chain of Memories/the start of KH2 for Sora. 
> 
> Also I really hope everyone that's canon to KH is well in character still, especially since this chapter took me two days to write!
> 
> In any case, I hope you guys are enjoying the story so far, so... from this point on I'm going to hint at what's in the next chapter so yeah. Next time, Ana and Terra find a surprise in a Jungle.


	12. Siren

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A visit to Deep Jungle yields a couple of revelations

Ana and Terra walked through the shining corridor to the next world and were surprised to find themselves standing next to a waterfall surging into a pool surrounded by jungle. It was hot and humid there, and for Ana, the dark-haired girl couldn't help but admire the local flora for a moment, before something else caught her eye.  
  
"Huh? What's that?" Ana said, looking at a shining line heading into a nearby cave.  
  
"What's what?" Terra then asked, looking at where Ana was pointing, "I don't see anything by a cave, jungle, and the ground."  
  
"Great, must be a Summoner thing..." Ana said before she added in her mind, _Hey Gil, what's with the bright line?  
  
That, Ana,_ Gilgamesh then said in Ana's mind, _Is a way for summoners to detect Eidolons who haven't made a pact yet, though... it only works because an Eidolon that has a pact to a summoner can act as a radar of sorts._  
  
"So it's a Summoner thing, got it," Ana said, much to the confusion of Terra.  
  
"What is?" he asked, while Ana simply started walking towards the cave.  
  
"Basically, I got an Eidolon Radar through Gilgamesh," she said as Terra followed behind her, "And according to that, there's an Eidolon somewhere inside that cave."  
  
"Do you think it's Phoenix?" Terra then said as he summoned his keyblade, just in case there were heartless around.  
  
"Dunno," Ana said, "I'm hoping it is, but if not, maybe each Eidolon we find could help us get one step closer to finding it."  
  
"Yeah," Terra said, just before Ana stopped next to a wall and stared at it. "Something wrong?"  
  
"Yep," Ana said, "According to the radar... the Eidolon is on the other side of this wall."  
  
"But there's not a way through it," Terra said as he tapped his keyblade against it, and frowned as he heard a solid knock as a result. "Well, there's a lot of water in the cave, maybe the ruin is behind solid rock- probably a few millennia's worths... It really could take ages to break through it."  
  
"Yeah..." Ana said, just before Gilgamesh chimed in.  
  
 _You could use Titan to make a way in,_ he said in Ana's mind, _Earth and Rock is his domain after all._  
  
"Ugh, of course! Titan!" Ana said as she covered her forehead with her hand, "How could I forget the fight in Olympus already..."  
  
"Wait, do you actually think he could do it?" Terra asked as he watched Ana prepare to summon.  
  
"Only one way to find out," Ana said as she pointed her keyblade downward and turned it to the right, "Titan!"  
  
In a flash of light, the toga-wearing Eidolon appeared behind Ana, giving a polite bow as he looked around the waterfall cave.  
  
"A lovely location, Miss Ana," he said, "Now, what would you like me to do?"  
  
Ana pointed at the wall infront of her and spoke to the muscular Eidolon, "There's an Eidolon behind this wall, can you open up a passage for us to reach them?"  
  
"Of course," Titan said, and popped the bones in his neck before he cracked his knuckles and got to work. As Ana and Terra stepped aside, the Eidolon of the Earth reached out and tapped the stone, and to their surprise, it started to recede into a tunnel.  
  
"Please follow me, Miss Ana, and Sir Terra," Titan then said as he started walking, followed by the two keyblade wielders. It was silent as they walked, the only sounds they heard were the rushing waterfall and dripping water outside the tunnel, which eventually became quieter and quieter as they moved. It was also getting darker as well in the tunnel, and as the light started to get dimmer and dimmer behind the trio, it was clear that they had a long road ahead of them.  
  
When they finally saw the entrance to the next ruin, lit by floating crystals, the trio had no idea how much time it took between starting the tunnel and reaching their destination. Though, judging by an opening above them showing blue sky, and the fact that there was more jungle inside the cavern they were now in, it was clear that the space was large enough to form its own biome.  
  
"Amazing," Ana said as she looked around the hidden area, watching a river rush by and further into another cavern, "To think, we may be the first people here... in who knows how long..."  
  
"Yeah," said Terra as he looked at the ruins ahead of them, the doors chained shut with a pair of large locks on them. "Ana, you unlocked Gilgamesh's prison with Ven, right?"  
  
"Yeah," Ana said with a nod, while Titan looked at the ruin in silence as if quietly trying to find some clue as to who might be inside the prison itself.  
  
"Think we should unlock the door together?" Terra said, raising his keyblade and pointing it at one of the winged locks on the door, with Ana doing the same. Just like the last time Ana had done this, a beam of light fired from Rose Morning and hit one of the locks, while Terra's Ends of the Earth did the same. There were two soft clicks echoing through the cavern, followed by the winged locks falling off with the chains they held. As the trio got closer to the door though, they noticed it was carved with waves and musical notes, causing Titan to blink in surprise as he opened the doors to allow his comrades into the ruin. Inside was a single corridor with a mural on either side depicting what looked like a young woman with wings and a harp spending time with a giant.  
  
The story the mural told also began with the giant offering flowers to the woman, only to be rejected, but after the woman was rescued from a many-eyed monster by the giant, the pair started to become friends. Sadly, that was all that was available as the ravages of time had caused parts of the mural to fall apart, despite the ruin being sealed away. However, as Titan looked at the mural, he smiled sadly as he spoke.  
  
"I know who's sealed here," Titan said and continued before anyone could ask who it was, "Her name is Siren, and she and I... well, we're close friends similar to how Gilgamesh and Enkidu are close to each other. She was a wonderful singer and had mastery over the water- not to the extent of Leviathan, but she could certainly make waves, so to speak. I admit I tried to court her in the past, and we decided to be friends, however... her feelings for her summoner at the time prevented us from becoming anything more than that. Still, I cared for her and respected her wishes and I still intend to respect those wishes even now."  
  
"But, according to the radar, she's without a summoner now," Ana said, causing Terra to frown as Titan sighed.  
  
"Indeed..." Titan then said quietly, the implications being quite clear as they walked down the corridor in silence.  
  
Once they reached the end of the corridor, however, they found not a set of doors like in Gilgamesh's and Enkidu's prisons, but a giant chamber covered in crystals and plant life- a hole in the ceiling overhead providing light from the sun. However, at the back of the chamber was a large crystal set into the wall, with a figure inside of it- a young woman with blonde hair styled to look like winged pigtails, while she wore a white outfit decorated with golden musical notes and a skirt styled to look like a pair of wings folding over it. Combined with the heels she wore, the woman looked rather cute to Ana, though as her eyes remained closed and an old harp was resting on a pedestal, it was clear that this was the sleeping Eidolon they were sent to find.  
  
"Siren!" Titan called out as he ran towards the crystal, and using a mighty fist, broke it apart with a punch. In a fluid movement, Titan then caught Siren as she fell out of the crystal prison, before he held her close- tears in his eyes as he hugged his friend. "Siren, please wake up..."  
  
"Titan, maybe there-" Ana started to say, only for Siren to groan and open up her silvery-gray eyes. Then, she pecked Titan on the cheek and smiled as she finally spoke.  
  
"What took you so long to help me?" she asked gently, before chuckling a bit as Titan blushed and kept holding her in silence. Then, after a moment he started to laugh and hug Siren again before he helped her stand up and turned her to face Ana and Terra.  
  
"Siren, this is my new Summoner---" Titan began, only for Siren to fly towards Terra and inspect him.  
  
"Hmm... muscular as expected of your summoners, Titan," she said, "Though he is handsome too..."  
  
"Uh..." Terra said as he stepped away from Siren, "I'm not a summoner, I'm just here protecting Ana, the actual Summoner."  
  
"Hi," Ana said as she waved a hand at Siren, who looked shocked at the dark-haired girl. Siren then flitted towards Titan like a hummingbird before looking between him and Ana.  
  
 _"She's_ your new summoner!?" Siren said, "I thought you normally didn't take girl summoners!"  
  
"She's the first summoner in a long time, Siren," Titan said, "We've been sealed long enough that the world we knew has been irrevocably changed into many worlds."  
  
"What!?" Siren said in disbelief, "Who told you that!?"  
  
"Gilgamesh," Titan said, only for Siren's expression to grow dark as she glared at Ana.  
  
"You have Gilgamesh as a summon?" she said, and when Ana nodded, continued, "Summon him. Now. I want to have a little chat with him."  
  
"Ok?" Ana said, before pulling out her keyblade and doing as she was asked to. When Gilgamesh appeared, the four-armed giant looked quite confused as he looked around the chamber nervously.  
  
"Gilgamesh," Siren then said, "I want an apology."  
  
Gilgamesh stared at Siren in confusion, before he frowned and tried to think. As Ana watched, it was as if Gilgamesh was going through what memories he had left for the answer. However, the search did not last long as Gilgamesh finally spoke.  
  
"What exactly am I apologizing for?" he asked, causing Siren's eye to twitch as she shouted at the giant.  
  
"Did you lose your memory or something you darn bandit!?"  
  
"Yes, actually," Gilgamesh then said, causing Siren to flinch before an awkward silence fell in the chamber. Terra looked at Ana who gave a flat look towards the older keyblade wielder, while Titan coughed politely as Gilgamesh stared down the stunned Siren.  
  
Finally after what seemed like a few minutes, Siren spoke again.  
  
"Well, since you've clearly forgotten, I guess I'll have to remind you," she began before glaring at Gilgamesh, "You barged into my dressing room before a concert after fighting your way through security shortly after Titan disappeared."  
  
Silence again, before Gilgamesh's fists clenched and the four-armed giant started to growl. "That's because the concert was a trap by that bastard, and I was trying to warn you about it! But instead of giving me a chance, you blasted me halfway across the country with your strongest water spell!"  
  
"What do you mean by that bastard?" Terra then asked, causing Gilgamesh to flinch before sighing and covering his face with a hand.  
  
"Well, there's no use avoiding it forever, so I might as well tell you- but only once." Gilgamesh began, "That Bastard was the reason there aren't any more summoners save for Ana, why we were all sealed away and most importantly, that bastard separated me from my little buddy!"  
  
"But, who was he?" Terra then asked, only for Gilgamesh to growl again.  
  
"His name was Solomon Diabolos, a failed summoner who thought we were too powerful. He led his entire family and their servants to capture and seal the Eidolons away, I can't recall why he thought that way, but he told me himself that he was going to make sure all summoners were destroyed before leaving me alone in my prison for... who knows how long."  
  
Ana, Terra, Titan and Siren said nothing at first, the two keybladers unsure what to even say, while Titan kept quiet for the moment. Then, Siren looked down at the ground, as if she too remembered something.  
  
"I... I remember now," she said quietly to Gilgamesh, "The concert really did turn out to be a trap set for me. The Diabolos family attacked us and... and managed to prevent me from protecting my fans from being slaughtered. Then, they made me watch as they killed my summoner, Jason right in front of me! I... I remember them putting me inside that crystal, and the last thing I remember... was calling out for you, Titan."  
  
Titan said nothing as he hugged his beloved Siren, while Terra had another question in his mind.  
  
"Titan, how were you captured?" he asked, while Titan frowned and looked away.  
  
"It was embarrassing really, but it was just after a rather rough battle against my favorite training partner, the Doom Train's conductor. We were both tired out after our battle, and Solomon's minions jumped us both. I was taken away to be sealed elsewhere, but I do know that the Doom Train's Conductor was sealed away in a graveyard that was near our training ground." Titan said, clearly embarrassed by his story as he kept hugging a shocked Siren, doing his best to keep her calm.  
  
It wasn't long before Siren spoke again, the mystical diva looking straight at Ana as she did so.  
  
"Ana, in exchange for my power over water, promise me that you'll free the other Eidolons," she said, "I may not know where they are, but I swear in Ultima's name, that they'd probably want to be free as well."  
  
"Don't worry, I'll free as many Eidolons as I can while I search for Phoenix," Ana said as Siren smiled.  
  
"Thank you," Siren said with a smile before the three Eidolons in the chamber vanished from sight. A bit tired, Ana leaned against the wall while Terra looked around the chamber, honestly surprised that the Heartless didn't attack them while they were there.  
  
"So, what now?" he then asked, causing Ana to look at him and sigh as she pulled out her Gummiphone and started typing an update to her journey.  
  
"I guess use the Keyblader network to try and find a world with a Graveyard on it," she said, "And until we get an answer, I think it's time we head back to Twilight Town for a break."  
  
"Yeah, that may be for the best," Terra said with a nod, and Ana once again started to create another shining portal back to Twilight Town.  
  


~0~

Julia groaned as she woke up in her bedroom, the girl confused as to how she got back there. Her lavish room in Sunset Terrace was decorated by things she adored- posters of Setzer on pastel green walls that had stripes decorated by darker green hearts, an expensive television set and computer in the corner, and stacks of fashion magazines scattered about. The room was perfect for a girl like Julia, however as she sat up and looked around, she immediately noticed that something was incredibly wrong.  
  
Not only did she not remember how she got back to her room, but she realized that she couldn't feel any emotion. No love for Setzer, no true hatred for Ana, nothing.  
  
As she walked towards the vanity next to her computer however, she then noticed that something was on her cheek- a gray mark that looked like an upside-down heart combined with a cross. However, try as she might to use makeup remover to get rid of it, she found that she couldn't, the mark staying where it was no matter what she tried to do to remove it.  
  
"Just what is this?" she said, the area around the mark now bright red from how hard she rubbed, Julia couldn't believe that this was happening. It was as if she lost something precious, but couldn't quite remember what it was. She wanted to be scared, to be angry, to feel anything, but all she could do was go through the motions.  
  
"That bitch Ana did this..." she then said coldly as she remembered what had happened, how a monster appeared before Julia fell unconscious, "She's the reason I'm like this, I'm sure of it! She probably stole something from me, and but this stupid tattoo on my face just to spite me!"  
  
Yes, that was it. Ana did this to her, as the fake blonde smiled at her reflection, she then started using some foundation to cover up the mark on her cheek, an echo of feeling pleased that it could be hidden at all going through her. Still, despite not feeling anything anymore, the young woman still wanted Ana to pay for her crimes. She wanted Ana to suffer, just like she used to back when Julia pretended to be her friend back in school before Ana developed a spine after her dad fell into his coma.  
  
Julia wanted to be on top again, she wanted the entire world to do her bidding as she strove for power.  
  
It was then, that something interesting happened, a trip of pastel green monsters appeared behind her, causing Julia to turn around and face them. Sure, she should have felt scared, but she didn't instead, as she noticed the three monsters were kneeling, she noticed that one arm was curved like a bow, while the other ended in a point. The three archers also bore the symbol she had on her face on their chests, pointed feet and their heads covered by zipped up hoods.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked coldly, only for one of the archers to speak up.  
  
"We are Nobodies," it said, "We are here to serve our liege."  
  
Julia smirked at this, and an idea started to form in her head. A wonderful idea that would get Ana's attention, and perhaps even crush that shiny spine she had now.  
  
Oh yes, Ana was going to be ruined after this, and as far as Julia knew, no one would be able to save her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, while Titan's chapter was super long, this chapter is shorter. Mainly because I couldn't think of a good adventure to happen while in the deep jungle/couldn't think of a good reason Tarzan would show up so... I just had him be a no-show while Ana and Terra have their own little mini-investigation thanks to a new ability.
> 
> Also, Siren was originally going to look like a younger idol but I realized that might be creepy so she's a young woman instead of a kid. She's still a diva though, and I hope she's enjoyable as well.
> 
> Also, I looked up some mythology for help with a name for Siren's original summoner and he was going to be named Ulysses, but I decided to name him Jason since the Argonauts had a run-in with Sirens in Greek myth.
> 
> Finally, yes, I know the human Nobodies didn't have the symbol visible on their bodies- as far as we know, but I wanted to have a good way to show that Julia's no longer human, and since she values her looks, her getting the symbol on her face seemed like a fitting thing to do. Of course, I'm still figuring out what Julia's weapon will be so if you readers have a suggestion for that, or what the Nobodies serving her will be called, let me know, ok?


	13. Downtime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was supposed to be a simple day off at the beach... but then Even had to show up.

It was a beautiful day in Twilight Town, the sun was shining, birds were singing and for Ana and Terra, today was a day off! In fact, the pair were prepared to go to the beach with Martin's permission, especially since today was a slow day at the flower shop. Of course, they did run into Axel on their way to the station, the redheaded man keeping his word about guarding the Twilight Rose, they had caught up a bit, learned that Roxas and Xion had gotten over their colds and were currently in school playing catch up on what they missed with help from Hayner, Pence, and Olette.  
  
All in all, things seemed pretty normal today in Twilight Town.  
  
Things were quiet, however, when they reached the train station, neither Ana or Terra having an idea on what to talk about as they boarded the train to the beach. However, things soon changed when a voice was heard in front of them as the pair of keybladers sat down.  
  
"Ana, is that you?" said a young woman with short, green hair and a pair of blue eyes partially hidden by a pair of thick glasses. This young woman wore a simple, gray long-sleeved shirt with a long red skirt decorated with a pattern of white gears, and as Ana looked at the girl, there was also an awkward moment of silence between them as well.  
  
"Odell, it's been a while," Ana said quietly, surprising Terra quite a bit.  
  
"Y-Yeah," Odell said just as quietly, "Um... I would have contacted you sooner but... Julia wouldn't let me."  
  
"Yeah, I figured as much," Ana then said as she crossed her arms, "So, heading to the beach?"  
  
"Y-Yes," Odell said with a nod, before looking towards Terra, "Is... this your boyfriend?"  
  
"No!" Ana sputtered, while Terra turned as red as a tomato at the idea of him and Ana being like that at all. In fact, as Odell giggled, he soon realized that she was actually joking.  
  
"I'm kidding," Odell then said with a smile, "Though.., have you seen Julia lately?"  
  
"Nope," Ana said with a shrug, "Last I saw her, she tried to get me in trouble with Seifer and his gang by saying I tampered with the Struggle Counters."  
  
"What!? But she knows you love Struggle!" Odell said in surprise, only for Ana to give a glare to the green-haired girl.  
  
"She knows a lot of stuff about you, too, remember?" Ana said, causing Odell to flinch before sighing.  
  
"You're right... she woke up after she collapsed when that monster appeared, from what I've heard at least, but... she's been acting weird lately, and even cut contact with me as well. I'm honest;y worried about her."  
  
"She's probably just doing it for attention," Ana said with a shrug, "At least enjoy the time away from her while it lasts, you know how she treated me, back when she claimed we were friends."  
  
"I know... and... I'm sorry I didn't stand up for you back then," Odell then said sadly, "Julia... Julia would have--"  
  
"It's alright," Ana said, "The past is past and the damage is done, there's no changing it."  
  
"I understand," Odell then said sadly, while Ana sighed and ran a hand through her messy dark hair.  
  
"Listen, Julia is a toxic person, and I always thought you were a nice girl. You... really don't need someone like Julia in your life, I don't know what you're going to do at the beach, but I hope you have fun on your own, ok?"  
  
"Thank you," Odell said with a smile before heading to another part of the car to sit down, leaving Ana alone with Terra.  
  
"So... she was your friend, right? The one you hadn't seen in a while?" Terra then said as he recalled what he and Even overheard in Radiant Garden.  
  
"Yeah," Ana said as she looked over at Odell, who seemed to be writing something down in a notebook for the moment.  
  
"So, why didn't you ask her where she'd been?" Terra asked, only for Ana to look at him.  
  
"It wasn't my business, Lunkhead," she then said, "Odell is the type to keep to herself, at least while I knew her."  
  
"I see," Terra said with a sigh before he started to look out the train window.  
  
The rest of the trip was filled with the chatter of people talking about what they were going to do at the beach, ranging from just enjoying the sand and surf, to having a beachside picnic, to even breaking open a watermelon or playing some volleyball. While Ana and Terra just try and train in Keyblade techniques in case of trouble in the future, an unseen member of their group decided to speak up in Ana's mind as they arrived at their destination.  
  
 _Anyone else getting the sense of impending doom?_ said Gilgamesh in Ana's mind as they got off of the train at the beach station. The sea air already hitting them as they walked to the beach proper from the station. The sea was a gorgeous blue, and with the blue sky overhead instead of the usual golden sky of Twilight Town, it was as if they reached another world despite it still being the same one. In fact, as the two keybladers looked around the beach for a place to train in private, it seemed that nothing would bother them and actually have a chance to have some fun.  
  
Unfortunately, an all-too-familiar voice behind them cut the pair's chances of relaxation down considerably.  
  
"There you two are!" said Even, the tall blond man tapping his foot as the pair turned around, only to see that instead of a lab coat and a nice suit, Even was dressed in a pale blue and white wetsuit with a bag slung over his shoulder filled with notebooks, pens, a camera and who knew what else. As far as Ana was concerned, Even looked ready to research the beach, rather than take time to relax.  
  
 _And there's the reason for impending doom,_ Gilgamesh then said in Ana's mind, the eidolon most likely still a little bitter from being mistaken for a heartless the last time he and Even met back in Radiant Garden.  
  
"Even, what are you doing here?" Terra then asked, only for the blond to roll his eyes as he pulled out a camera and took a picture of the two keybladers.  
  
"Research," Even said, "I saw the updates Ana made on Kingstagram and since you two didn't come to me, I decided to come to you here in Twilight Town."  
  
The two keybladers were silent, before exchanging annoyed looks with each other, though it was Ana who decided to speak up in protest.  
  
"Not a chance!" she said, "This is supposed to be our day off, which means no dealing with you- how did you even get here, anyway?"  
  
"I have my ways," Even said smugly, only for Ana to cross her arms and glare at the scientist.  
  
"Okay, genius," she then said, "What about the locals, don't you think they'd panic if they see what looks like monsters roaming around."  
  
"I've already taken that into consideration," Even said with a smile, "Demyx and I have already found an out of the way place for you to summon your Eidolons in private."  
  
"Fine..." Ana said with a sigh, "We're wasting time so let's just get things over with!"  
  
"Excellent!" Even said happily, "Now, if you'll follow me, Demyx is waiting for us in the research area."  
  
With their day off ruined, Terra and Ana simply sighed and did as they were asked, following Even along the beach with their gear in Ana's bag and a silent hope that the research session would be rather quick so that they can enjoy the rest of their day off.  
  
Soon, they arrived at the secret place- an out of the way clearing surrounded by trees and shrubs with a large rock in the center. Off to the side was the musician Ana had seen before in Radiant Garden, playing at his blue Sitar like nothing was wrong. However, as the trio looked at the center of the clearing, they saw that someone else was with them- a young woman with long white hair, and wearing a white and silver bodysuit with wide sleeves and a silver headband keeping her hair out of her eyes. The girl was sitting on the rock and looking up at the sky, watching the clouds roll by overhead as she hummed along with the music.  
  
 _There's something... familiar about that girl,_ Gil commented in Ana's mind, however before the summoner could respond, he added, _but I'm not sure how... weird._  
  
"Demyx!" Even then shouted at the strumming sitarist, getting the mulleted musician's attention before he pointed at the girl, "Who is that!?"  
  
"I dunno, she just arrived while you were getting Ana and Terra," Demyx said nervously, "I mean, she seemed alright so I figured she could stay, ya know?"  
  
"Demyx, I told you to guard this area against anyone who would interrupt my research, so why did you let her in!?" Even said, still pointing at the strange girl, who turned her head from the sky towards the group that had just arrived, momentarily locking silvery eyes with Ana's dark green ones before looking at Even.  
  
"Sorry, am I in trouble?" the girl said, "I didn't mean to barge in on anything, I just wanted to do some cloud watching, that's all."  
  
"N-No, you're not in trouble!" Even said quickly, before running a hand through his hair, "Who even are you, anyway?"  
  
"Oh!" the girl said in surprise before muttering something to herself. Then, she answered the question with, "My name's, uh... Mati!"  
  
"Well, Miss Mati, then I suggest you leave," Even said as he crossed his arms, "I am about to perform some important and secret research and I can't have any locals just reveal it before it's ready!"  
  
"I don't mind her staying," Ana then said, "She seems familiar to Gil, so if I summon him, he might get some memories back."  
  
"Wh-What!?" Even said, "Are you sure!? What if she starts blabbing my findings to the public or her family!?"  
  
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that!" Mati said with a smile, "I don't have any family, it's just me on my own!"  
  
"That really isn't something to smile about," Even said flatly while Demyx chuckled a bit.  
  
"Well, since Ana's got the things you're researching, Ve- I mean Even, maybe let Mati stay for a while, she could be like... your assistant or something!" Demyx then said with a grin, while Even sighed and threw his hands up in defeat.  
  
"Fine, she can help," Even said as he handed his camera to the white-haired girl, "You can take pictures, that should be simple enough for you, correct?"  
  
"Press the button, right?" Mati then said as she clicked a button on the camera, and took Even's picture as a result. Showing it to him, she smiled while Even saw that Demyx had snuck a water clone into the photo to give Even rabbit ears.  
  
"Can we please just get started!?" Even then snapped, while Ana decided to walk over and speak once again, while Terra sat on the rock next to Mati, mainly because he was unsure as to what he could do to help out in Even's research.  
  
"So," Ana then said as she summoned her keyblade, "Which summon do you want to see first?"  
  
"Let us begin with the newest and work our way back to your first summon, if you don't mind," Even said taking out a notebook and pen, before writing something down, "According to Kingstagram, that would be Siren, correct?"  
  
"Yeah," Ana said before pointing her keyblade towards the ground and turning it to the right, "Siren!"  
  
In a flash of light, the mystical diva appeared, strumming her harp as she hovered in the air. Even quickly took notes in his notebook, while Mati snapped a picture of Siren before the Eidolon locked eyes with Mati. Though the diva seemed surprised, she didn't say a word as she looked around the clearing and hummed a bit in amusement.  
  
"So, why was I summoned?" Siren then asked while Ana decided to take over and started by pointing at Even.  
  
"Genius here is researching Eidolons and what they can do, so why don't you show off your skills for him," Ana said while Siren hummed again.  
  
"Well, I don't see why not, darling," Siren then said with a smile, before turning to Even, "So, Mister Genius, what do you want me to do?"  
  
"I-It's Even," the scientist squeaked while Terra chuckled for a moment, "And I'd like you to demonstrate your powers if any."  
  
"Oh, that's easy," Siren said as she summoned up a ball of water to her hand, and let it swirl in place, catching Demyx's interest as he stopped playing his sitar to watch.  
  
"So, you can manipulate water?" Even said, jotting things down, "Interesting, do you happen to make water clones of yourself as Demyx can?"  
  
"I have no idea who Demyx even is," Siren said flatly, before seeing the mulleted musician wave and bring up a pair of water clones to dance a bit before he dismissed them, "Impressive, boy, though I will have to figure out making duplicates of me sometime in the future, it looks useful..."  
  
"Hey, I'd be happy to show you sometime!" Demyx said with a grin, while Siren flew over to him and traced his shoulder with a finger.  
  
"Why don't you show me now?" she said seductively, causing Demyx to blush and stammer out an answer.  
  
"S-sure!" he squeaked out and was about to show Siren the trick in question when Even spoke up again.  
  
"We don't have time for lessons!" Even said as he pulled apart the Eidolon and the musician before things could get a little steamy between them. In fact, as Even pointed at Siren with his pen, he was about to say something else, when Siren snatched the notebook and pen and started writing in it.  
  
"Honestly, if you wanted an autograph, you should have said that first," Siren then said, before handing back the snatched items and vanishing from sight.  
  
"A-Autograph!?" Even said in disbelief, before he looked down at the Eidolon's signature in his hand. Noticing that the language used was much different than anything he'd ever seen, however, he smiled and silently flipped the page before looking to Ana.  
  
"Now then, would you please summon the next Eidolon?" Even then said, while Ana nodded and repeated what she did to summon Siren.  
  
"Titan," Ana invoked, and in another flash of light, the obsidian giant appeared, still wearing his toga and sandals as he flexed for the camera Mati clicked away with. As he flexed and posed for the camera, it was clear that Titan was enjoying himself, especially when Ana noticed he was smiling as well. However, when he stopped and noticed Even writing things down in his notebook, Titan decided to lift the man up by the back of his wetsuit, catching the scientist by surprise as he yelped and dropped his things into the sand below.  
  
"Will you put me down!?" Even yelled, and as Titan obliged, Even found himself not on the ground, but in a chair made up of stone, "Thank you."  
  
"No problem, little one," Titan said with a smile, before vanishing from sight. As the chair vanished as well, Even found himself on his back as he laid on the ground. Still, he sat up, picked up his pen and notebook and started writing notes.  
  
"Alright, I believe Enkidu is next," Even then said, only for Ana to correct him.  
  
"Actually, after Enkidu gave the weapons back, Merlingave me another Eidolon called Kirin," she said, rubbing the back of her neck, "Want me to summon him?"  
  
"Of course!" Even said quickly, "Though, I wish you had told me beforehand you had gotten three Eidolons before you left Radiant Garden, but one cannot change the past after all."  
  
"Right..." Ana said while Terra snickered, "Kirin, come on out!"  
  
A third flash of light and the blue, dog-faced dragon deer appeared beside Ana, raising his head high as he surveyed the area. Though, when his white eyes landed on Mati, he froze and tilted his head curiously, before looking to Ana. As the summoner looked considerably tired however, the beast soon spoke to voice his concern.  
  
"This one is worried you might strain yourself, Mistress," he said, while Ana merely smiled and gave a thumbs up.  
  
"I'm fine, I just need a couple of ethers," she said, before looking to Even, "Why don't you show Even what you can do, Kirin?"  
  
"This one will happily obey, Mistress," Kirin said before running circles around the rock, Mati having a bit of trouble capturing the beast on film. Even cursed the fact that he didn't bring anything to track the exact speed of Kirin, and as the creature stopped next to Ana, the scientist quickly wrote down his findings before he decided to speak to the Eidolon directly.  
  
"Tell me Kirin, what can you do, exactly?" he said, while the beast huffed and looked up at the sky.  
  
"This one can regenerate a person's body with an aura of healing," he said, "As there are no injured about however, this one will simply take this one's leave."  
  
With that said, Kirin then vanished, leading to Ana to collapse on the sand as she felt pretty drained from the constant summoning so far. As Even looked at the summoner, however, he sighed and went to his bag next to Demyx and pulled out a ham and egg sandwich and handed it to the girl.  
  
"Here, I believe it's time for a break anyway," he then said in a bit of a fatherly tone as Ana took the offered food and scarfed it down, "Slow down! You're not an animal!"  
  
"Sorry, Summoning a lot takes a lot of energy!" Ana said as she slowed down in her eating of the sandwich while Terra was tasked with handing out food to the rest of those present- and even split his lunch with Mati.  
  
"Thanks!" Mati then said as she slowly at her meal, "Hmm... Chicken and steak bento, this is pretty good!"  
  
"You sound like you've never had it before," Terra then said as Mati paused with a small strip of steak sticking out of her mouth.  
  
"Well, I lost some of my memories," she said casually, surprising everyone in the area- even Demyx stopped playing his sitar to listen. "Why are you guys staring? It's not like I have anything more to say."  
  
"Sorry," Terra said for everyone as they looked away awkwardly, "It's just, you're the third person I've met that lost their memories- Gilgamesh lost his memories too, though he's slowly getting them back."  
  
"Gilgamesh?" Mati then said, before going deep in thought, "Ana mentioned him earlier as Gil, right?"  
  
"Yeah, that's right," Terra said, "Oh, I'm Terra by the way."  
  
"Nice to meet you," Mati said with a sunny smile, before taking a picture with the camera, "This is for posterity and because I can."  
  
"Riiiight...." Terra said before he finished up his half of the bento and gave the rest to Mati, "So, what do you remember?"  
  
"Oh, just my name," Mati said despite the happy smile, "and that I like watching clouds, oh! And I'm remembering my time with you guys too, though making memories might be easier than getting them back."  
  
"Yeah, I can see that," Terra said with a shrug as he looked up at the clouds rolling by overhead. The rest of the lunch break was quiet as Ana downed a couple of ethers at once and Even went over his notes so far. Demyx continued to play like nothing was wrong, though it seemed like he was enjoying himself and the music he made. All in all, things were rather pleasant as Terra watched Mati take pictures of the local flora in the secret place on Twilight Beach. He wasn't sure why, but there was something strange about the white-haired young woman, and he wondered just where she came from and why and how she lost her memory.  
  
"Alright then," Even then said as he clapped his hands, "I believe we've rested enough!"  
  
"Alright, alright," Ana said with a sigh, before summoning her keyblade once again and once again prepared to summon, "Enkidu, Gilgamesh, showtime!"  
  
"You can summon more than one!?" Even then asked in disbelief as Ana's first two Eidolons appeared, only for Ana to lean on her keyblade and shrug.  
  
"Only if there's a connection between the ones I summon- for example, I can summon Gil and Enkidu at the same time because of their relationship." Ana said, "At least, that's what Gil told me."  
  
"I see," Even said, writing the information down for posterity, "Well, let's get started with Enkidu."  
  
"Huh?" Enkidu said, before spotting Mati, "Mat-Mat!"  
  
"Huh?" Mati said, only to find herself being circled by Enkidu, "Oh! What a cutie!"  
  
She then proceeded to pick up the little Eidolon, giving Enkidu a tight hug before she turned and looked at Gilgamesh, the two staring at each other in confusion before the four-armed giant finally spoke.  
  
"Have... we met before?" Gilgamesh asked, only for Mati to shake her head and set Enkidu on the ground as gently as possible.  
  
"No... I don't think we've met..." Mati said a bit dreamily, "My name's Mati, you must be Gilgamesh, right?"  
  
"Yeah," Gilgamesh then said, only for Even to clear his throat.  
  
"Excuse me for interrupting, but I would like to try and continue my research!" Even then said, snapping the two back to reality as Enkidu moved next to Even in a blink of an eye.  
  
"What Even want?" Enkidu then said, as the scientist then wrote down how fast Enkidu moved.  
  
"I just want you to show me what you can do," Even said, while Enkidu took a moment to think.  
  
"Nuh-uh," Enkidu said as he shook his head, "Gigylmesh said showing off bad!"  
  
Even turned his glare towards Gilgamesh, who shrugged helplessly before he spoke.  
  
"It's okay to show off this time, Enkidu," Gilgamesh then said, "Just try not to hurt anyone, ok?"  
  
"Kay!" Enkidu said with a smile before looking to Even, who pulled out a segment of chan from his bag.  
  
"Now then, Enkidu?" Even said as he held out the chain, "I want you to show me how strong your jaws are- I saw the remains of a broken chain in the ruin you were in, and it looked like they were bitten through over time. I want you to test my theory that over time, your jaws might have gotten stronger than they were before."  
  
Enkidu said nothing, and instead flapped his tiny wings and rose into the air, before chomping down on the chain. The chain ended up snapping into pieces from the single bite, earning a whistle from Gilgamesh. Feeling proud of himself, Enkidu then hopped back and sent a ball of fire out of his mouth, surprising Even as he stumbled back and quickly jotted this information down.  
  
"You can breathe fire!?" Even then asked the little Eidolon, who nodded as the fireball hit the sand and went out immediately. Enkidu then went over to Gilgamesh and used a stubby paw to poke the giant's leg, earning his attention as Enkidu looked up at his best friend.  
  
"Your turn!" Enkidu said, before flying up into Mati's lap, who dutifully took pictures with the camera she'd been given.  
  
"Well, what can you do, Gilgamesh?" Even said, while the four-armed giant stretched his arms and popped the bones in his neck.  
  
"Well, I can fight with almost any weapon," Gilgamesh said with a shrug, before teleporting behind Even with a smug grin on his face, "I can also warp around a bit, though I'm still having trouble with long distances at the moment due to memory loss."  
  
"Right," Even said, writing down the information, "And what weapons can't you use?"  
  
"Guns because reloading them can be a pain in a real fight and keyblades. I prefer using melee weapons in all honesty."  
  
"Anything else you can do?" Even then asked in annoyance.  
  
"Well... I can change form like the bigwigs in Eidolon society..." Gilgamesh said, before closing his eye to demonstrate. In moments turning from his four-armed giant form to a human with short red hair wearing a tattered haori with brown hakama and was now Terra's size instead of being a head taller like he usually was. He also had bandages around his waist and overall looked like a handsome thug.  
  
"Why do you wear something like that?" Even then asked, only for Gilgamesh to huff.  
  
"I like the aesthetic!" Gilgamesh said proudly, before looking at Mati to see her blush, "You alright Mati?"  
  
"I-I'm fine!" Mati said, before taking a few pictures of Gilgamesh, only for Even to ask about something else.  
  
"Now, who are these big-wigs of Eidolon Society as you put it?" Even then asked, "Or can you not remember?"  
  
"Oh, I remember them alright..." Gilgamesh said, "There's Leviathan the Lord of the Seas, Shiva, the Maiden of Ice, Ifrit the Master of Flames, Old Man Ramuh, King Bahamut, Alexander and then there's Ultima, the First Eidolon."  
  
"Alexander doesn't get any titles?" Even said dryly, "Why is that?"  
  
"I don't remember if he had any," Gilgamesh said with a shrug, "I don't even remember what they all looked like except for Bahamut, and he's a dragon."  
  
"I see," Even said before looking up at the sky overhead, "I believe it's time to leave, Demyx, Mati, it's time to return to Radiant Garden."  
  
"Wait, I'm going with you?" Mati said in surprise as she stood up with a smile.  
  
"Of course," Even said, "I could use a second assistant in my Eidolon studies, and since you lost your memories, we could always try to find ways to get them back for you."  
  
"Really? Thanks!" Mati said with a smile as she started picking up around the secret spot, while Ana and Terra left after Gilgamesh and Enkidu vanished from sight.  
  
Later, after the pair returned from the surprise research session all either of them wanted to do was to go back to the shop and sleep. Things were quiet between them as they walked the streets of Twilight Town back to the Twilight Rose. They had expected a quiet evening in all honesty, however as the street lights flickered on for the evening the silence of the normally bustling town made it clear that something wasn't quite right.  
  
That's when the shop came into view, and what they saw horrified them. Broken windows, flowers scattered on the ground and the walls sprayed with the words "Corpse Girl" all over them in red paint. On the ground being helped up by Martin was Axel, the redhead clearly injured by the way he staggered to stand before Martin moved to support him.  
  
Gilgamesh's words were the only sound Ana could hear, and he summed up the situation perfectly.  
  
 _This does not look good._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this chapter actually took a few days to write due to burn out. But, I'm better now so that's good. 
> 
> Anyway, while this was fillery, I will admit that this part of an arc involving Julia, which started at the end of the last chapter. Also, I wanted to give some screentime to poor Kirin, who hasn't had a chance to show off just yet.
> 
> As for Mati... she kind of just happened during the plotting process, and she has a secret to her, though what it is I'll leave you guys to guess in the comments. 
> 
> Demyx, on the other hand, wasn't originally meant to be in this chapter, but since Even had to get to Twilight Town somehow, I decided to just... give Demyx a shot since well, the guy just needs something to do.
> 
> And yes, Demyx will return in a later chapter, for those wondering. 
> 
> Finally, I hope that Even, Terra, and Demyx were in character in this chapter, and that so far, all the canon characters were in-character for the entire fic thus far. It's something I kind of worry about while writing fanfiction.
> 
> Next time: the quest is put on hold as Ana reveals a secret about her father to Terra...


	14. Nobody

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets are revealed, though they may raise more questions than answers...

"What happened?" Ana said through gritted teeth once she got close to her uncle and the injured Axel, the furious girl rushing over as fast as she could, keyblade in her hand, "What the hell happened to my family's shop, Axel!?"  
  
"So, you finally got my name right?" Axel said, before cringing in pain, "Well, I'm _flattered."_  
  
"Shut up, or tell me what the hell happened, Axel!" Ana snapped angrily towards the redhead who was currently supported by Martin's shoulder.  
  
"Fine, fine," Axel said in annoyance, "I was watching the shop like I promised when these Nobodies I've never seen before showed up and started vandalizing the shop. I did step in to try and stop them, but they overpowered me and I was forced to the ground. I would have been done for if something weird didn't happen."  
  
"What was it!?" Ana said on the verge of shaking Axel had Terra not tried to hold her back.  
  
"Ana..." Terra said, causing the girl to sigh and nod.  
  
"Right, gotta try and keep calm..." she mumbled, before adding a little louder, "Axel, what happened that saved you?"  
  
"The Dusks came and saved me, they chased off the unknown Nobodies and went after them before you arrived."  
  
 _"The Dusks_ saved you?" Terra said in surprise, "But... you're not a Nobody..."  
  
"I know, it's pretty weird they'd do that, too." Axel said with a frown before Terra cast cure on him to help heal his wounds, "Thanks."  
  
"Why would they do that?" Terra then asked as he crossed his arms before a look of realization crossed Axel's face.  
  
"There's another Nobody controlling the Dusks," Axel then said causing Terra's eyes to widen, while Ana and Martin exchanged worried looks, "If there's one Nobody controlling the unknowns, then there could be one wanting to protect the Twilight Rose for some reason."  
  
"But why would two Nobodies go against each other?" Terra then asked, while Axel sighed and ran a hand through his red hair.  
  
"Well, Marluxia was planning a coup, so it could be a power struggle..." he said, before noticing that Ana seemed a bit uncomfortable about something as he added, "We still need to figure out who the Nobodies having this little turf war _are_ , though, so any ideas you might provide could help, Ana."  
  
Ana said nothing, as Axel continued before Terra could ask what was wrong with the girl.  
  
"In fact, we could probably have to check people for the Nobody Symbol, if the two Nobodies in question are powerful enough to look like humans, that is."  
  
"What does that symbol look like?" Martin then asked as he helped Axel into the shop so he could rest.  
  
"Got a pencil and paper?" Axel said as he was set onto a stool next to the counter.  
  
"Upstairs, give me a moment," Martin said as he headed through the door in the back of the shop, closing it behind him. With him gone, Axel then looked at Ana, who was currently looking around the ransacked shop as she calculated damages in her mind- broken flower pots, potting soil spilled everywhere, saplings that had been uprooted, in fact, she even busied herself by replanting some of the uprooted plants in the intact flower pots scattered about. Axel could see the tears welling up in her eyes, though he wondered why she was trying not to cry. Sure, the whole shop was a mess, but then again, this was Ana's family business. It made sense for her to be upset after what happened- coming back from a day off only to find the shop a wreck, but the way she kept from crying was enough to make Axel a bit suspicious.  
  
It was then, that Martin had returned with a pen and pencil, allowing Axel to draw out the Nobody Symbol he knew all too well. The cross attached to the upside-down remains of a heart was a symbol he had under his eyes for a decade and then some after all, but as he watched Martin and Ana look at the symbol, they both frowned and exchanged a conspiratorial look with Ana shaking her head and Martin sighing.  
  
"We can't hide it anymore, Ana," Martin said, before looking at Axel and Terra, "Yeah, we know the symbol all too well- my brother-in-law has it on the back of his neck."  
  
 _"What!?"_ both Axel and Terra said in shock, before looking at Ana as she frowned at her uncle.  
  
"It's true, my dad's been a Nobody since I was six," she said, "And no, you two can't tell anyone without permission, I... I don't want anyone trying to hurt him while he's comatose, and speaking of that- what do you plan to do to him?"  
  
Neither of the keyblade wielding men said a word as they looked at each other, and then again at Ana. While on one hand, Nobodies could be trouble, the fact that Ana's father was in a coma and somehow still protected by the Dusks and who knew what other lesser Nobodies were working for him as well. What's more, he had raised Ana since she was six years old, either as a favor to his Somebody or something else, they were not sure.  
  
"We don't know," Terra then said for both him and Axel, "But, Ana, we need to talk about this information with the others."  
  
"And what if they want to kill my dad!?" Ana said, "I.. I don't want to lose him too!"  
  
With that, she ran upstairs leaving Axel and Terra alone with Martin.  
  
"Now, what exactly did she mean by that?" Axel then asked, before looking to Martin, "Know anything else that we don't?"  
  
"Her mother disappeared shortly before Roy became a Nobody," Martin said with a sigh, "Ana's the only one who knows how, but she never told me. For all I know, she might have suppressed that memory for some reason. But, when Roy suddenly lost all emotion, I had to stick around to help him learn how to feel again with Ana's help... it wasn't until a day that Ana was almost hit by a runaway tram that Roy started acting normal again- he ran in and saved her and even started calling her Rosebud again like he used to. When he did that, Ana ended up hugging him and crying, feeling like she got her dad back again... but he still had that damn mark on his neck."  
  
Both Keybladers were silent as they heard Martin's bitterness as he explained things to them. Still, as Axel looked at the plain-looking man in a white shirt and khaki pants, the redhead couldn't help but ask another question.  
  
"Did anyone in a black coat ever come by the flower shop, asking for Roy?"  
  
"Only once, after the Tram incident," Martin then said, "Some guy with an eyepatch came to talk to Roy I don't know what about, and when I asked, I kept getting shut down. I honestly think that guy managed to piss my brother in law off somehow.  
  
 _So, Xigbar was here? I wonder how he found out about Ana's father? And if so... why didn't he come back after just one meeting trying to recruit him?_ Axel thought to himself, before watching Terra head upstairs.  
  
"I'm going to check on Ana," Terra then said, and Axel watched as the man left the room, heading upstairs before Axel looked to Martin.  
  
"You're not going to stop him?" he then asked, causing Martin to sigh as he played with a button on his shirt.  
  
"No way, I... I'm not one who likes to get caught up in conflicts," Martin then said, "Besides, Ana told me at the start of her adventure that Terra was asked to keep an eye on her, right? So who am I to get in the way of that?"  
  
"Right..." Axel said, unsure what to think of the man before him.

~0~

Terra walked up the stairs after he left Axel and Martin in the shop itself, the man worried about how his charge was feeling after recent events. It was his job to keep her from falling to darkness, and as he rushed into the apartment above the Twilight Rose, he saw nothing but an open door on the other side of the apartment. Realizing that it was the door he saw Ana go through once, Terra carefully walked towards it, doing his best to be quiet as he heard Ana sob on the other side of the doorway.  
  
Going into the room, he saw something he didn't expect to see for a Nobody's bedroom. Instead of blank walls and a lack of decoration, like he had expected to see from what Roxas had told him about the Castle that the Organization had once called home, he instead saw a room decorated with a dusty photo of a woman with pale brown hair and dark green eyes smiling happily as she played with a familiar pin on her shirt. There were also photos of a happy looking family and a younger Ana with smoother hair than the mess she had now. In the corner, was an electric guitar that was well maintained and dust-free, as well as posters on the wall for some sort of band called Thorns of Twilight with a gaudily dressed man holding the guitar in the corner.  
  
Finally, he looked towards the bed and found Ana sitting next to a man with messy dark hair and a trimmed beard fast asleep. He looked to be a little older than Terra seemed at present, with a lean frame that somehow managed to maintain his muscles despite being in a coma for a year. Around his neck was a pendant shaped like a crescent moon, though that was all Terra could see in terms of his body thanks to the blanket covering him.  
  
"Ana," Terra said, getting the weeping girl's attention, and seeing her eyes reddened from tears as she stood up and summoned her Keyblade, looking ready to fight.  
  
"I won't let you hurt him," she said quietly only for Terra to sigh and hold his hands up in surrender.  
  
"I wasn't going to," he said and watched as Ana put her keyblade down and sniffed a bit, her face swollen a little from ugly crying. Not sure what else to do, Terra simply hugged the young woman, letting her cry into his chest for as long as she needed to. Right now, she needed a friend, and while he was sure Gilgamesh was doing his best to calm her down with how silent she was, Terra also did his best to help as he said nothing in case he made things worse. He could see she was a mess, and also see that she needed someone to talk to when she was ready so, seeing a couple of chairs next to the bed, he sat her down in one and then he himself took the other.  
  
"Ana, are you ok?" he then asked once she managed to stop crying.  
  
"No, no I'm not," Ana said quietly, before looking at Terra with her red-rimmed eyes, "I'm pissed, and I know who caused it too."  
  
"Who was that?" Terra asked.  
  
"Julia, she might be the other Nobody," Ana said, "She hates me, she calls me Corpse Girl, and she's most likely became a Nobody when we fought that Heartless the last time we were here in Twilight Town."  
  
Terra said nothing at first, realizing that the theory made a lot of sense. Julia really did seem to hate Ana after they stopped being what the bottle blonde viewed as friends, she, according to Ana, started the Corpse Girl rumors about Ana, and finally, the timing of when she might have become a Nobody was perfect. She did summon a heartless after all, which they had defeated through teamwork with Axel. Though, to learn that Julia had enough willpower to retain her human form as a Nobody was frightening to realize, now that she had who knew what sort of power at her disposal besides the mysterious Lesser Nobodies serving her. Though, if she'd only been a Nobody for a short time, she may not have yet discovered her new powers completely, meaning they still had time to defeat her and restore her to normal.  
  
"Ana," Terra then said as he realized something about her father from that train of thought, "Did your father show off any powers or weapons before he collapsed?"  
  
"He used his guitar to control soundwaves," Ana said, "At least, he did one time to save me from a runaway tram a year after he became a Nobody. After that, he tended to keep his powers under wraps when in public, and I don't think he's used that power since then."  
  
"I see," Terra then said as he crossed his arms, "He was lucky to avoid being picked up by Organization XIII, then."  
  
"What's Organization XIII?" Ana then asked, causing Terra to sigh.  
  
"Didn't you read the Chronicles on your Gummiphone?" he asked flatly only for Ana to shake her head.  
  
"No, because I figured it wasn't really my business to know about your personal life!" Ana said, "I figured you'd open up to me in your own time about the stuff that happened in the past."  
  
"I see," Terra said with a groan, "Well, Organization XIII, or at least the first iteration of them, was a group of Nobodies that wanted to restore their own hearts through the use of Kingdom Hearts, my Nobody was leading them... sort of."  
  
"What do you mean, sort of?" Ana asked in confusion.  
  
"At the time, my body was possessed by a Keyblade Master named Xehanort, so he was running things through my Nobody when he and Ansem the Wise's six apprentices did experiments with the Darkness of the Heart, turning them into Nobodies as well," Terra said, doing his best to explain.  
  
"So... you were used by someone too?" Ana asked, "And they actually used your body to cause trouble for... how long exactly?"  
  
"Twelve years," Terra said with a sigh, "My memories of that time are foggy at best, my heart was doing its best to fight Xehanort's control with the help of Master Eraqus's own heart that was within me, which caused my memories to be sealed as well."  
  
"This just sounds pretty complicated," Ana said with a sigh of her own, "I feel like all I can ask is if you're al---"  
  
She was interrupted by the sound of bells ringing in the distance, causing both her and Terra to stand up in concern.  
  
"Ana, what time is it?" Terra then asked as both pulled out their Gummiphones.  
  
"7:15 PM," Ana said looking at her phone "The bells shouldn't be ringing right now... or at all, now that I think about it."  
  
"Think there's trouble going on?" Terra then asked as he started to leave the room.  
  
"Yeah, we better go check it out," Ana said as she followed after her traveling companion.  
  
"Yeah," Terra said in agreement as the two rushed out of the apartment and into the flower shop below.  
  
"What's going on?" Axel then said when he saw the pair while Martin looked lost in thought, "We heard the bells ring just now."  
  
"Dunno, Terra and I are going to check it out," Ana said as she ran by them.  
  
"What about me?" Axel then said, only to cringe in pain. "Damn, that Cure wasn't enough..."  
  
"You stay here and get some help to protect the shop," Ana then said after stopping in her tracks, "There's no telling when those other Nobodies might come back to finish the job they started."  
  
"Right, I'll text Roxas and Xion," Axel said as he pulled out his phone, "Think one of you can cast another cure spell real quick though? My sides are killing me..."  
  
"Fine!" Ana said before summoning her keyblade and pointing it at Axel, "Cure!"  
  
A flash of green light erupted from the keyblade and Axel was surrounded by phantom flowers for a brief moment before he sighed in relief.  
  
"Thanks," Axel said with a small smile as he stood up, only for the bells to ring again, this time the ringing sounding urgent as Ana and Terra left the shop to investigate what was going on. As Axel remained with Martin and finished his text, however, he looked to the flower shop owner and noticed that he looked a little pale.  
  
"You know something, don't you?" Axel then asked causing Martin to flinch.  
  
"Wh-What makes you think that?" Martin then stammered out, before moving to pick up a broom and start sweeping up potting soil and broken glass from the windows.  
  
"Just a hunch," Axel said, before giving a closer look at the average looking man, "You know what those bells mean, don't you?"  
  
"Fine, I'll talk, but only because I don't want trouble," Martin then said with a sigh, "You've been in Twilight Town for a year now, right? Have you ever heard of the legend behind the Clocktower Bells?"  
  
"There's a legend behind them?" Axel then asked, "I always thought they were there for decoration since they never ring.... until now anyway."  
  
"Right, I guess the legend isn't talked about nowadays," Martin then said with a sigh, "Well, the legend goes that when those bells ring, it means something big is happening. And the last time they rang was when Roy appeared infront of that old mansion one day."  
  
"What do you mean by appeared?" Axel then asked, "And how do you know so much about it?"  
  
"Because my sister, Leila and I were there investigating the place as kids when there was a flash of light, followed by Roy appearing on the ground knocked unconscious by something or someone." Martin said, "After that, things got weird for my sister, she started hearing things around the plaza or in the woods- a voice asking her about her day. I think that light did something to Leila, cause she hadn't been the same since then....until she vanished for some reason."  
  
"A reason only Ana knows but hasn't told you about?" Axel then said, earning a nod from Martin.  
  
"Yeah," he said, "I... I was focused at the time on my brother in law losing his heart, that I didn't think to ask Ana what she saw that day."  
  
"Right," Axel said, but he couldn't help but feel that Martin was hiding something important, but as he had a shop to protect at the moment, all Axel could do was to summon his keyblade and stand at the door, ready to roll out in case trouble reared its ugly head once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter is a little sad, but understandable for Ana since she's under a lot of stress at the moment- her family's shop was vandalized, her dad possibly in danger, and the shadow of Julia looming over her again.
> 
> Also, Martin seems to be hiding a few things as well, doesn't he? Why would he be so bitter about his brother in law? What exactly happened to Leila that Ana suppressed? What exactly happened between Roy and Xigbar? And what's more...
> 
> Where exactly is Roy really from?
> 
> So many mysteries were revealed in this chapter, I think. Also, yes, Roy is basically a sound-based Demyx, but I did try to make him as little like Demyx as possible outside of the music thing they share. Hell, Roy was even in a band at some point in his life and I hope that even in his coma, he showed some character.
> 
> Finally, for those wondering what kind of music Roy played... he does power metal. This is because I listen to too much Dragonforce and started applying it to things in Roy's past that will not be revealed until much later in the story.
> 
> Anyway, next time, it's a boss fight against Julia. Who will win? Who will lose? And who might show up to help Ana and Terra against the new threat?
> 
> Type out your answers in the comments, folks!


	15. Julia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past and present collide, that's all to be said.

It had been a day like any other for Julia- the golden sky of Twilight Town was clear as ever, the trams and trains were running around town and she and Odell were waiting for that loser, Ana to arrive so they could go to the beach as they planned. Julia had been wearing her favorite pale green skater dress while Odell wore a sweater and long skirt as usual. As Julia looked at Odell, she was for a moment, unsure why the nerd remained by Julia's side.  
  
Oh wait, she did. It's because she knew Odell's secret passion, and was blackmailing her it in order to keep Odell twisted around her finger and to do her bidding. While it was easy for her to get dirt on Odell, Ana was honestly a bit harder to manipulate when that annoying stubborn streak of hers kicked in. Still, the girl was desperate for friends, so Julia decided to play nice for now to manipulate Ana to her side.  
  
Still, Ana's father was someone she only met once in her relationship with Ana, and while she couldn't help but feel there was something off about the man, she also knew that he had seen right through Julia, since while they had a moment alone, he had sworn that if she ever did anything to hurt his daughter, he would, in his words, "wreck her life like she tried to wreck Ana's."  
  
That, frightened Julia more than anything, as to her, her life had to be perfect- people doing as they were told, her seeming like the perfect girl that everyone loved and adored, and most importantly, anyone who didn't stay in their role being despised by the town. It took some work for Ana to be manipulated into her pet, but to Julia, it was worth it as she viewed Ana the flower shop girl as a threat to her status as being the most liked girl in all of Twilight Town.  
  
Speaking of, Ana arrived at that moment, the girl wearing a simple blue and white dress with that stupid lucky emblem necklace that had become all the rage lately in Twilight Town, the other girl's dark hair immaculately brushed and styled into a ponytail as her dark green eyes held an odd sadness to them.  
  
"Hey, Ana!" Julia said, pretending not to notice her pet's mood, "What took you so long?"  
  
"Sorry," Ana said with a sigh, "I was busy working in the shop and taking care of dad, I didn't even notice the time until a little while ago."  
  
"Oh, it's fine!" Odell said with genuine care in her voice- why Odell actually cared for such a loser was beyond Julia's understanding, but as the beautiful blonde didn't care to find out, she let it slide for now- anything to help the illusion of friendship she had with stupid little Ana, "Any signs of your father waking up soon?"  
  
"I really don't know," Ana said quietly as she played with her ponytail, "And... I have some bad news."  
  
"What is it?" Julia then said, feigning concern for her dear pet, only for Ana to say something that went against Julia's perceived role of her.  
  
"I can't come to the beach with you, the shop got a big order in for that new cafe that's opening soon and it's my job to fulfill it since I'm the only one running things right now."  
  
"What?" Julia then said flatly, the mask she wore so well cracking under this defiance of her will.  
  
"I-I'm sorry, Julia but I can't go to the beach today," Ana said as she stepped back a bit.  
  
"But you promised that you'd hang out with us today!" Julia snapped, causing Ana to look down at the ground, before clenching her fist.  
  
"Julia, I _have_ to take care of the shop while my dad's in a coma," she then said, causing Julia to move quickly to discipline her pet.  
  
That was the first time she'd ever struck anyone, and as far as Julia was concerned, it felt good to cause someone pain if it meant getting them back in line. Ana, however, just held her cheek and stared in shock at the blonde, as if seeing her for the first time. Then came that defiant look again, the one that Julia worked so hard to wipe away as Ana struck back just as the clouds started rolling in.  
  
Julia took the punch to the stomach and stumbled back. How dare she strike her after all she'd done for Ana! Julia looked up to glare at Ana, those dark green eyes glaring back into Julia's own gray ones. Julia scrambled to get up and pounce on Ana, ready to tear at her dark hair as punishment for defying her. She no longer cared about her mask, she just wanted Ana to pay.  
  
As Julia started trying to fight Ana, the rain started to fall, all while Julia punched Ana and pinned her to the ground. She wanted her pet to get back in line by any means necessary, even if it meant punishment through only pain. Julia kept slapping Ana's face until Ana stopped moving. Thinking that the now red-faced girl would be more docile, Julia sat up and looked at the swollen face of her pet.  
  
She never saw the next punch coming as Ana screamed at Julia, throwing the blonde off her body and onto the cobblestone street under them. The rain poured as Julia's dress became soaked as did Ana's clothes, with Ana punching Julia as the blonde reached for that stupid necklace around Ana's neck, intending to choke the defiant bitch out. Ana, however, butted her head against Julia's, screaming as she then got the blonde with her knee, an animalistic rage in Ana's eyes as she continued to fight back.  
  
Then, it was all over as Ana stood up in the rain and spoke.  
  
"Don't fuck with me, Julia. I'm not taking your shit anymore if you treat me like a dog."  
  
Julia never got a chance to say anything in response, only watching as Ana then turned and walked away. She turned to Odell, who had seen the whole thing and did nothing to stop Ana. She couldn't even tell what was going through the green-haired girl's mind as her face was expressionless, even as she helped Julia up off the ground and offered her the use of an umbrella as they got out of the pouring rain.  
  
Her beach day had been ruined.  
  


~0~

  
Julia looked up as she leaned against the wall overlooking Twilight Town from the train station plaza. She saw the clouds starting to roll in just like they had that day she and Ana became enemies, the blonde frowning as she remembered that awful day.  
  
"I swear," she said to herself as she watched the streets, trying to spot Ana as her new minions made reported into her, "Ana, you will pay for ruining my life, and I won't rest until you're either my dear pet again, or crushed beneath my heel where you belong."  
  


~0~  


Meanwhile, Ana and Terra were racing to the train station, doing their best to reach the place so they could investigate why the bells were ringing- especially since as far as they knew, the bells had never rung before. Along the way, they had seen the Dusks fighting against pale green Nobodies, both sides intent on fighting the other for dominance over Twilight Town. However, when one of the green Nobodies tried to fire a laser at Ana, a large Nobody with a sword appeared to tank the blow, before rushing in to assist the disks with its blade.  
  
The two keybladers had no time to question the rescue, though at one point Terra did stop to catch his breath while Ana looked at him in confusion.  
  
"What are you doing?" she said, only for Terra to stretch a bit and block an incoming laser beam from one of the green Nobodies that had appeared to fight them.  
  
"I think it's time you learned how to transform your keyblade," he said, turning his own into a whip and striking the enemy in the chest with it.  
  
"Okay, and how do I do that?" Ana said, summoning Rose Morning to her hand to parry a pointed arm heading her way from another of the mysterious Nobodies that was attacking them.  
  
"Remember how Aqua gave you that tip about how to wield magic?" he said, sending a few more strikes with his Keyblade towards his opponent's body, stunning it before he cast a spell that seemed to summon a meteor that fell on the poor Nobody and also created an explosion on impact, "Just imagine your keyblade changing something else, and that should work."  
  
"Got it!" Ana said, focusing on her keyblade's form as she battled against the Nobody, twirling to dodge an attack as in a flash of light, her keyblade changed into a rosy pair of handguns, which Ana immediately used to fire blasts of magic at her opponents before she started running and shooting ahead of her, Terra in tow as he used his keyblade's whip form to bring up the rear with help from the other Nobodies that were attacking the strange green ones.  
  
It didn't take them long for the two keyblade wielders to arrive at the train station, where Julia was waiting for them. Her gray eyes were colder than ever as she glared at both of them, though Ana could already tell that there was something off about Julia- and it wasn't the new wardrobe consisting of a pale green, frilly blouse with black capris, black lipstick on her lips and her dyed-blonde hair now having a dark streak in it. In fact, the way her eyes felt empty and soulless clued Ana in on the fact that Julia had changed in more ways than one.  
  
"Julia," Ana said coldly, ready for a fight as she held her keyblade in hand.  
  
"Ana," Julia said in return, before glancing at Terra and adding, "And her... stupid friend too, I guess."  
  
Terra said nothing, not wanting to derail the moment as Ana decided to get right to the point.  
  
"Are you controlling the Nobodies?" she said, causing Julia to laugh and give a wicked look towards the pair as she answered.  
  
"Of course I am, loser!" she said with pride, "My dear Rangers are soooo much more obedient than you ever were, Ana."  
  
"So why did you vandalize my family's shop, Julia?" Ana then asked, ready for a fight as thunder rumbled overhead. Julia then glared at Ana again before she spoke.  
  
"Because you took something from me the other day, Corpse Girl," she said, "I don't know how you did it, but I can't feel anything anymore, and I know you're to blame for it!"  
  
"All you have to blame is yourself, Julia," Ana said calmly, "Because you let yourself be consumed by Darkness, though considering how you were before, I don't know how you didn't get turned into a Nobody beforehand."  
  
Julia charged at Ana then, a white riding crop appearing in her hand in a swirling of black and white thorns as she screamed and charged at the dark-haired girl, before stopping and striking Ana with the crop a few times as she screamed in her face.  
  
"I. Am. Not. A. Nobody!" she screeched with every strike, "I am a somebody in this town! I am the best girl there is! The star of the show! The cream of the crop! I am not some lowborn loser like you, Ana! I am a queen!"  
  
"A queen of nothing..." Ana said, before kneeling Julia in the stomach, sending her back as Ana got a hold of herself. Though her face was red and swollen just like the last time Julia lost it on her, she was still standing as she readied her keyblade to fight back against Julia.  
  
"What is with that stupid key?" Julia then asked as she caught her breath, "Some sort of sign that you're a loser and always will be, Corpse Girl?"  
  
"Stop calling me that, bitch," Ana said, only for Julia to shoot a bolt of light at her. Ana managed to block it with the sun-shaped guard basket guard, before the bolt changed into a set of chains that wrapped around Ana and Terra, linking them together as Julia used her crop to raise the chains in the air with a sadistic look on her face once the two were high enough off the ground.  
  
"I wonder how well you'll be talking after I break every bone in your body, Corpse Girl?" Julia said then, only for a fireball to hit her in the side, causing Ana and Terra to fall once the chains were gone. Luckily, they were able to stick the landing, and Julia growled as she looked around to see a girl in a black blouse, white skirt and brown boots and short black hair. Julia was about to say something before she noticed the giant, plain-looking key in her hands and growled.  
  
"What, are you in the same stupid club as that loser Ana?" Julia then said, while Xion merely smiled and pointed her keyblade at Ana and spoke.  
  
"Curaga!" she said, healing both Ana and Terra of any injuries they might have had, before moving to join them for the fight. Three Keyblader against one Nobody with a riding crop. However, this did not last long as two Ranger Nobodies soon appeared next to Julia, ready for battle as they aimed their bow-arms at the three keybladers.  
  
"Be careful, Xion," Terra then said as he readied Ends of the Earth for battle, "Those Nobodies aren't like what we faced in the past."  
  
"I kinda figured," Xion said with a smile before readying her kingdom key, "Think Ana might need to bring in the Big Guns for this?"  
  
"Not for Julia," Ana said as she heard Gil's voice in her heart.  
  
 _Summon me to help!_ he said _I want a piece of her too!_  
  
"Sorry," Ana then said, "But this fight is between me and her, can you two handle the minions?"  
  
"Yeah," both Terra and Xion then said together just as rain started to fall. Lightning flashed in the sky as all three keybladers charged at their targets, Terra using a Quake spell to get his opponent off balance while Xion fought with her keyblade like she was a dancer, partying the needle-like arm and making sure it didn't get a chance to use a ranged attack on her.  
  
While those two were fighting, Ana and Julia battled, riding crop and Keyblade clashing with each other as the two young women fought.  
  
"You're going to pay for what you did to the Twilight Rose!" Ana shouted over the thunder as she jumped back and fired a flurry of leaves at Julia.  
  
"Oh please, I'm the darling of Twilight Town, I can get away with anything!" Julia said with a manic grin as she created a gale of wind with her Riding Crop to disperse the leaves. Seeing that magic attacks weren't going to work, Ana decided to get close and dirty, kicking and smacking Julia with Rose Morning before punching her square in the face with her free hand.  
  
"You bitch! Why don't you just get on your knees as you used to!?" Julia snapped as she held a hand over her right eye, only for Ana to glare right at her.  
  
"Because I'm not some pet you can abuse, Julia," Ana said, blocking another attack from the Nobody before kicking Julia again.  
  
"Stupid Corpse Girl!" Julia said, striking Ana in the face with her riding crop, "Your ruined everything when you started to care about your father more than me!"  
  
Ana said nothing and instead just spun and kicked Julia in the side, just as her two minions were defeated by Terra and Xion. Seeing nowhere to run, it looked like the end for Julia as she stared into Ana's dark green eyes with maddened gray ones.  
  
Then, something odd happened, a dark portal opened behind Julia, and while the trio was distracted, Julia took her chance to run through it. However, just before Ana could go through it herself, Terra grabbed her wrist and pulled her away just as it closed.  
  
"Why did you stop me!?" Ana said as she pulled her wrist away from Terra's grasp.  
  
"Because I'm supposed to be making sure that you don't fall to darkness," he then said, "And going through a Dark Corridor? A surefire way to fall into darkness if you're unprotected! Only Nobodies can use those safely because they don't even have hearts anymore!"  
  
"So how am I supposed to chase her down!?" Ana said, "She vandalized my family's shop, I can't let her get away with that!"  
  
"Ana, please listen," Xion then said, fiddling with a seashell bracelet on her wrist, "I know you're upset, but right now you need a chance to stop and think, as my friend Isa said, acting without thinking will get you killed... and I don't want my friend to do something stupid by going after someone like Julia."  
  
"So what, we're supposed to wait until we find her by chance!? She could be anywhere out there!" Ana said, still angry about Julia escaping.  
  
"Yes, we know, but we can use the network to keep an eye out for her," Xion said as she held up her Gummiphone, while Ana let out a sigh in defeat.  
  
"I guess you're right," Ana said in annoyance, "But the next time I see her, she's going down!"  
  


~0~

  
Julia had no idea where she was. The last thing she knew, was that she didn't want to lose to Ana once again, to possibly die by her hand. Then, that dark corridor opened, and upon seeing a chance to escape, she took it. Though, when she came out on the other side of the corridor and opened her eyes, she found herself in an unfamiliar place- a canyon filled with ruins and giant keys- just like what Ana and her stupid new friends had!  
  
This went against her worldview as being the best thing in Twilight Town- then again, she wasn't even sure if she was still in Twilight Town. Though, as she recalled, there was never a place like this back home!  
  
As she walked through the fields of keys, the sopping wet Julia wondered where she was in this dry, arid graveyard of a world. It was certainly ugly, in her opinion, and as far as she knew, there wasn't anything that could even begin to bring some beauty back in this place.  
  
If it had any beauty to it in the first place, that is.  
  
Soon, she came across a large boulder, and was about to move around it when she saw three figures- a giant cat, a mouse and a woman in all black with green skin and horns! Sensing trouble, Julia immediately hid behind the boulder, panicking as she listened in to their conversation. Though, she could barely hear them since they were talking quietly so she wasn't sure what they were saying at all. Still, she felt a riding crop wouldn't protect her from them if they turned out to be hostile, and so she looked around for something better to defend herself with.  
  
And then her eyes saw it, a rusted, clockwork-esque keyblade just right beside her, waiting for someone to take it.  
  
It wasn't pretty, but as she picked up the keyblade, she figured it would work until she found something more to her tastes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I'll admit, the flashback at the start was very hard for me to write, and I hope that I made Julia seem well, like a total bitch with it. 
> 
> Also, the pet thing Julia has for Ana really creeps me out.


End file.
